Protecting yourself from scams

Prevention, through awareness, is a vital tool in combating scammers. There are some handy tips to help you avoid getting scammed on the phone, online, by mail or on your doorstep.

How to protect yourself from scams

There are a few general tips to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a scam.

Never give out personal information. This can be used to steal your identity and access accounts.

Always check the credentials of any company or legal professional you're unsure about. You can look them up on Companies House to find out their background or search for reviews online.

Don’t make any advanced payments until you are sure the company you’re dealing with is legitimate.

If you’re unsure about a financial services company, check the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) register of regulated companies. If they’re not on it, don’t have anything to do with them.

Avoid being added to mailing lists which scammers sometimes get hold of.

To protect yourself from specific types of scams, more advice is available:

More information

You can find out more information on how to protect yourself from scams at the links below.

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If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

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For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

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For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme, email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
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contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

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If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

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If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly. We don't have access to information about you.

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Protecting yourself from scams

How to protect yourself from scams

More information

Help improve this page - send your feedback

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What to do next

Carer's Allowance

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Disability Living Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Personal Independence Payment