‘Screen sharing’ scams – beware

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The Financial Conduct Authority’s¹ (FCA’s) ScamSmart scheme has turned its attention to so-called ‘screen sharing’ scams, whereby fraudsters take over their victims’ computers using remote desktop software. Since July 2020, the FCA has seen well over 2,000 such cases, with victims losing a combined total of £25m between January 2021 and March 2022. One 59-year-old woman lost nearly £50,000 when a scammer posing as a financial adviser convinced her to download screen sharing software on the pretext of helping her complete a Bitcoin investment. Instead, they took advantage to access her banking details and other private information.

¹FCA, 2022

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Information is based on our understanding of taxation legislation and regulations. Any levels and bases of, and reliefs from, taxation are subject to change.

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