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A blue badge holder from Wirral has fallen victim to cybercrime prompting fears it could be on the rise during the pandemic.
Merseyside Police recorded almost 11,000 reports of fraud last year. According to stats released by the force 85% of those were cyber related.
The National Cyber Security have been inundated with emails which have led to 22,000 sites being taken offline.
Due to Covid-19, Sarah Wilcox from Wirral was unable to renew her disability badge at the council offices.
The retired shop worker found a website online promising to renew her parking permit within minutes at a cost of £49.
Wirral Council confirmed the renewal cost is usually around £10.
Said Mrs Wilcox: “Every time I would put my details in, it took my payment and it would crash. I did it more than once, about four times”
Wirral Council issued a statement warning people to always check they are on the council’s official website before handing over any payment details.
Gioia Dalosso Hemnell reports>>>
https://soundcloud.com/user-981670608/disability-blue-badge-scam-1