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Scam targeting autistic people to be aware of!

SalientBeing

Hello everyone,

I wanted to make everyone aware of a scam which I very nearly fell foul of today, had it not been for the vigilance of my bank!

Basically, I took the decision to do the AQ50 and RAADS tests; AQ50 was easily available for free. The RAADS one I ended up doing with a provider as a 'supposed' cost of £2 for the results. Took it on Saturday and got my score - was very high but that's another tale.

Anyway I was busy at work today when my mobile pinged, and I just managed to get a glance that it was a notification from my bank. Opened the notification and it was a Fraud Prevention Alert from my bank, where someone was trying to take £50 out of my account. The company attempting to take the money was called MentaLab - the very same company that had acted as paid-for middleman between me and the company offering the RAADS test (which I later found could be taken for free).

MentaLab are apparently scamming people by doing auto sign-up subscriptions known as Continuous Payment Authorities. When you pay for a purchase or a service, they don't tell you that they are going to set a CPA up. A CPA is like a Direct Debit, but it comes off a bank card instead of out of a bank account. That basically means that if you pay for something with a card, that's enough detail for a rogue company to set up a CPA with you, without asking your permission and this is exactly what MentaLab did with me.

I spoke with the bank on the phone and they said MentaLab had been added to the fraud protection filters in the last few weeks, as thousands of people were falling for the scam. Thinking they are paying for a £2 test, but then entering a £50 / month agreement without consenting to it. The call handler at the bank said she found it even more disgusting that this company is preying on the vulnerable people it's claiming to be helping.

So if you see any offers, tests, or anything else from MentaLab or Sitefusion Tech Ltd (the companies behind the scam), steer well clear for sake of preventing yourself messing about. I've had my debit card cancelled / destroyed, and I'm now waiting for a new one to be issued so that the company can't attempt further debits (they'll get a payment declined error from now on).

Parents

  • The safest rule is - never give away your bank details or email address.to an unknown online organisation. As soon as I've done something online and get that "email for results" let alone payment for results, I'm out of there. I'm an anti-scam groupie who has already lost one email to the dark web, where criminals sell your data to each other. Too many criminals want your bank account details for other scams - well done SB for prompt action, both by you and your bank.

  • in reply to Alexa

    Hi  

    I'll stipulate that I'm usually rock solid in terms of spotting scams and avoiding them like the plague. I don't know if it was a case of the fact that I'm currently burned out, emotional, setting off down the pathway of a formal late diagnosis, and having difficulties with family being accepting of my situation. I think that dropped my guard at the wrong time.

    But I certainly didn't want anyone else falling into the same trap. Until yesterday I didn't know about CPAs (effectively direct debits against a bank card), because no account number was exchanged. The only things exchanged were the standard things you'd use to make any other online purchase. That's what makes in scary.

  • in reply to SalientBeing

    I've heard of these things. I don't understand how they can raise one without an account number, though. 

  • in reply to Alexa

    Oh I agree and that's what''s wrong here, otherwise they wouldn't be able to do it.

    From what I've read online, it seems there are a couple of key differences between a CPA and a DD:

    • Direct Debit is an instruction to your bank to dispense funds on a schedule agreed with the account holder, and from the account number / sort code specified.
    • A CPA is an agreement to make a payment from a bank card for a subscription or service, and isn't fraudulent provided that it's made clear you are entering into the CPA. It does not need your account number - only your card details as it is charged as a payment on your card on a scheduled basis.

    That's where this scam comes into play. When I paid for those results, I didn't see anywhere where I was told I was entering into an agreement. Thankfully, the FCA has strict rules on CPAs, and it looks like my bank followed them to the 'T'.

    • A merchant must make it clear that a customer is entering into a CPA.
    • CPAs must operate on a 'cancel at any time' basis; you must never 'lock' someone into a CPA.
    • CPAs can be terminated by a bank prior to payment to the merchant of the customer instructs their bank to do this.
    • Banks CANNOT insist that you speak with the merchant first; they must carry out the termination of the CPA at the customer's request.

    I'm guessing that my bank have them on their fraud watchlist, because they are charging a small amount for a result, but covertly hiding the information about you being signed up to a CPA. It will be there (legal)  but hidden away somewhere (malpractice).

Reply
  • in reply to Alexa

    Oh I agree and that's what''s wrong here, otherwise they wouldn't be able to do it.

    From what I've read online, it seems there are a couple of key differences between a CPA and a DD:

    • Direct Debit is an instruction to your bank to dispense funds on a schedule agreed with the account holder, and from the account number / sort code specified.
    • A CPA is an agreement to make a payment from a bank card for a subscription or service, and isn't fraudulent provided that it's made clear you are entering into the CPA. It does not need your account number - only your card details as it is charged as a payment on your card on a scheduled basis.

    That's where this scam comes into play. When I paid for those results, I didn't see anywhere where I was told I was entering into an agreement. Thankfully, the FCA has strict rules on CPAs, and it looks like my bank followed them to the 'T'.

    • A merchant must make it clear that a customer is entering into a CPA.
    • CPAs must operate on a 'cancel at any time' basis; you must never 'lock' someone into a CPA.
    • CPAs can be terminated by a bank prior to payment to the merchant of the customer instructs their bank to do this.
    • Banks CANNOT insist that you speak with the merchant first; they must carry out the termination of the CPA at the customer's request.

    I'm guessing that my bank have them on their fraud watchlist, because they are charging a small amount for a result, but covertly hiding the information about you being signed up to a CPA. It will be there (legal)  but hidden away somewhere (malpractice).

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