Police issue alert after money lost to fake puzzles scam

The scams are often seen on social media sites, such as Facebook.

Guernsey Police warned that once an islander answers in a comment, they are then contacted by the scammer, who sends a message saying they have won a prize.

To claim the prize the islander has to pay money first or they are offered another chance of winning through payment.

Another scam, which has been prevalent recently in the Bailiwick, sees scammers impersonating someone’s child and asking for money to help them in an emergency. This scam is often carried out via WhatsApp.

‘Two individuals have reported losing money to this scam in recent days,’ Guernsey Police said.

The force warned islanders to be cautious, especially if someone is pressuring them into paying.

Bank details should not be sent to other people through social media and islanders should be sceptical of online competitions.

Islanders should not accept messages or friend requests from people they do not know, and be aware of people impersonating friends’ accounts.

‘Officers are also aware of other Facebook posts looking to exploit personal data by obtaining information that could help them gain access to your accounts either by guessing passwords or other security details,’ a Guernsey Police spokesman said.

‘What can seemingly be an innocent post asking what your first car was, could be highlighting your profile and security answers to a potential scammer.’

Islanders should not give answers to security questions and ensure they have good privacy settings.

. There are more details on how to avoid scams at www.gov.gg/scams.