What is a scam?
A scam is when criminals try to steal your money, personal information, or anything else that’s valuable in some way. Scammers often pretend to be genuine organisations, such as housing providers or government departments. This is to gain your trust and trick you into giving out sensitive information.
Here are some common scams that you might come across:
Phishing scams
Scammers may send you fake emails, text messages, or call you. They may appear to be messages from us or from other legitimate organisations such as the government. They may ask you to confirm your personal details or pay a fee for housing or to get repairs done.
What to look out for:
- Suspicious email addresses or phone numbers that don't match official contact details.
- Unusual language or threats – for example, they may threaten to suspend your account if you don’t do what they ask
- Requests for sensitive information, like your bank details or National Insurance number.
What to do:
- Never click on links in unexpected emails or messages
- If you’re called by a withheld number and you weren’t expecting the call, don’t feel pressured to answer your phone. A genuine caller should be supportive if you want to check who they are first
- Always make sure the sender is who they say they are before sharing any details
- If you’re not sure if a message, email or call is from us, send the details to us using our contact form and we can help you check if it’s genuine
- If you’re called by someone and you don’t recognise the number, https://who-called.co.uk/ offers a free service where you can check a phone number
- Many phone providers are part of a scheme that let you report suspicious text messages for free. If you forward a text to 7726, your provider may be able to block or ban the sender if it’s found to be fake.
Fake Housing Repair Scams
Some scammers may call or visit claiming to be our partner contractors, offering "free" repairs in exchange for personal details or a payment upfront. You might also receive unasked-for leaflets, emails, phone calls and social media adverts encouraging you to claim for disrepair issues in your home.
What to look out for:
- Anyone asking for money upfront for repairs that seem too good to be true
- Contractors showing up uninvited or without proper identification, who may claim to work with us or with other housing associations
- Claims management companies offering to get you disrepair compensation or carry out repairs on your home through a solicitor.
What to do:
- Our colleagues and contractors always carry identification badges, so make sure you ask to see ID before letting them in. You can call us if a contractor says they’re working for us but you’re not sure it’s legitimate. If you can’t confirm someone’s identity, don’t let them into your home
- Never pay upfront for repairs or services. If you need a repair, report it through MyAccount or by visiting our repairs page
- If you feel unsafe, please call the police, and let us know as well
- If someone calls you from a number you don't recognise and claims to work for us at Orbit or one of our partners, please take their details. Call us immediately to check they are who they say they are
- Don’t pay any money upfront to disrepair claims management companies. If you are considering using their services, get independent legal advice first. You can often get free legal advice through Citizens Advice, your local Law Centre, or other charitable organisations such as Law Works.
How to protect yourself from scams
Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself online:
Keep your personal information secure. Never share personal details, such as your bank account information, PIN codes or passwords, unless you are sure it’s with a trusted source. If you’re not sure, always double-check.
Check the link of the website you’re visiting. Make sure it is the official website of an organisation and not a fake site – especially if you’re entering personal information or making a payment. Check to see if they have a green padlock icon and ‘https’ at the beginning of the URL.
Use strong passwords (a mixture of capital and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols) and use different passwords for different accounts. There are various password manager tools which can help you keep track of your log-in details.
Don’t share personal information on social media, such as where you live or your date of birth. Check your privacy settings so you know who’s able to see your posts. If your account is public, be especially careful about what you share on your accounts.
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
It’s important to act quickly if you think you’ve been scammed.
Contact your bank. If you’ve shared bank details or made a payment, contact your bank immediately to stop any further transactions and secure your account.
Keep an eye on your accounts. Change your passwords as quickly as possible. Check your accounts for any unusual activity and be cautious if anything doesn’t seem right.
Tell us about it, if it involves us, our contractor partners or anything else to do with your home.
Report it to Action Fraud. Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre.
More information about scams and how to avoid them
If you or someone you know wants an introduction to getting online and staying safe, you could sign up to one of our Digital Resilience sessions, which are free of charge. You can sign up on our website – just navigate to the ‘Digital skills’ section.
Action Fraud have plenty of advice and information about fraud and also publish regular news articles about the latest scams to look out for.
National Cyber Security Centre have guidance about staying safe online on their website.
Citizens Advice has some information about common scams and how to protect yourself.
National Trading Standards is a government resource for scam awareness and prevention.
Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert, also has some tips on how to spot scams and what to do if you’ve been caught out by one.
