National Police have taken to social media to warn email users about a clever scam doing the rounds. Officers have seen this particular scam a lot recently so took to its twitter account to warn people, explaining that thieves are becoming increasingly adept at cloning genuine websites and convincing victims to part with their money.
The ‘bicycle scam’ sees thieves imitating the web page of sports equipment company ‘Decathlon’. The scammers create a very convincing looking email, complete with logos and images, made to match Decathlon’s real style and branding. In the email they claim that you have won a great Van Moof S3 electric bicycle, valued at more than 2,500 euros.
To ‘get’ the prize, you have to confirm by clicking on a link within the email. It is this link that is used by the thieves to access the data of the victim: name and surname, telephone number, address or even passwords and credit cards if they are linked to the account of a computer or mobile device.
How to avoid being scammed
Police say that with careful checking, you can see that there are elements that do not add up. The sender is Decathl0n with the number 0 instead of the letter ‘o’ and the domain of the email address has nothing to do with the French sporting goods company. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you don’t recall entering a prize raffle and get a notification about a price, it’s advisable to be wary.