People in Harborough warned to be extra-vigilant after surge in specific type of fraud across Leicestershire

People in Harborough are being warned to be extra-vigilant after a surge in a specific type of fraud across Leicestershire.

The warning is being issued by Leicestershire Police today after the force has seen a spike in fraud offences.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) codes have been obtained by criminals to gain access to secure accounts, said police.

“2FA can take the form of something you know, like a password or PIN, something you have, like your phone or something you are, like a fingerprint.

“Typically, it involves sending a code to a registered mobile device after a user has entered their username and password into a website,” said police.

“It’s mainly used by social media organisations and banks to ensure user’s details are kept secure and only they can gain access to their accounts.”

In the last fortnight alone police have received 14 reports after people were targeted by suspects online who they believed were family or friends and asked to share their 2FA code.

“It was later established that the accounts were compromised as the victim genuinely believed they shared the 2FA codes with someone they know,” stressed police.

“The simple advice is - never share your 2FA code with anyone.”

If you suspect that you have been the victim of this fraud or any other type of fraud immediately alert Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk to report the incident.