Norfolk County Council has urged people to be careful as more new scams emerge.

From 'petfishing' to fake emails from Microsoft, here are some cons for people to be aware of this week. 

'Petfishing'

Norfolk County Council is helping to highlight a government campaign against 'petfishing'.

Its name comes from the term 'catfishing', which is used to describe someone who adopts a fake online persona to lure people into relationships.

Similarly, 'petfishing' is the act of trying to sell a pet online by claiming it is happy and healthy when this is not the case.

Sometimes the pet has actually been bred and kept in poor or illegal conditions which can cause problems with their health and psychological wellbeing later in life.

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In other instances the pet may not exist at all.

Be wary of sellers who ask for money before handing over the pet.

If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is - and do not be afraid to ask for copies of the pet’s inoculation history, breed paperwork and certification before agreeing a sale.

Doorstep cold callers selling household products

Over the last few days, young males have been cold calling homes in the Caister, Acle, Lingwood, Blofield, Wymondham and Hethersett areas.

They have been trying to sell household products. 

The council advises people never to purchase anything from unknown people at their door.

Doorstep cold callers offering garden work

A male has also been going door to door in the Rollesby area - this time offering to complete garden work. 

Again, the council's advice is to not engage with doorstep cold callers.

Emails claiming to be from 'Microsoft'

People have been receiving emails which claim to be from the Microsoft customer support team.

The messages say they have received "62 complaints about your email account from Google Drive".

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They add that "thousands of spam emails were sent out from your email address in the last three days" and "we require clarification now to avoid mail account deletion within 48 hours".

The recipient is then told to click a link to "run & scan for viruses".

This is a fraudulent email and the link will take users to a fake website designed to steal their personal and financial information. 

What do I do if I think someone is trying to scam me?

If you believe someone has tried to scam you with a fake telephone call, email or text, you can call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.

You can forward suspicious emails to the National Cyber Security Centre by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk.