YOUR article on the 02/02/2021 reminding people to be weary of scams is a stark warning of how unscrupulous some humans are and they will use any means to gain personal details to rob people out of their money or goods.

The internet in many ways is a wonderful creation that has multiple benefits to mankind but as with anything that is available to all there are always downsides that lowlifes will exploit.

We have all been contacted by phone by someone claiming they are from certain companies and we owe this amount or they will cut the service they pretend to be representing if we do not give them a payment.

I even asked one guy, who said he was from Microsoft, why he would try to steal from innocent people?

He argued he was genuine, of course he was not genuine, just another scammer out to filch off people.

There is a new scam which I find absolutely appalling buying an NHS certificate online stating that this or that person is Covid 19 free and fit for travel to bypass airport checks on people coming or leaving the UK or any other country that are trying to stem the transmission of COVID-19 during the world wide pandemic.

It is always a mystery to me how trickery fraud, like internet and phone fraud, is not seen to be as serious as other types of theft and is more or less put down to bad luck or an acceptable hazard of being able to deal easily over social platforms.

Scams are deadly serious; some people have been scammed and it has destroyed their lives and has even driven some poor souls to suicide.

There never will be total freedom from scams because humans are ingenious and, in the end, will always think around safeguards.

Our only defence is being ever more vigilant and keep the public enlightened to the ever-present threat these scammers are, who are out to get our money by any means they can.

Paddy Maxwell

Lordshill