| I received a series of emails purporting to come from the builder who is going to repoint the front of my house next year asking for half the fee now in order to reserve a booking for February. I did question this but got a very plausible response. I also checked on line for paying builders in advance and asked the person who recommended the builder if this was how she paid. Fortunately, I am in France for the weekend and replied that I could not therefore access my bank account. This morning I got a phone call from the builder to say that his website had been seriously hacked and the hackers were asking his clients for money. I have reported this to Action Fraud. Please be very careful if you are asked for payment in advance. I could have lost about £3000. |