66 h. ago The good news is, you’re owed a tax refund. The bad news? It’s a scam

170,000 fraudulent phone calls, texts and messages offering a refund, or threatening legal action over tax owed, were reported to HMRC up to July Tax calculations can be, well, taxing, so a message from HMRC saying that there’s been a mistake may not ring too many alarm bells. Some bring good news: you have overpaid and are owed a refund, but others claim you owe money. In both cases there’s an imminent deadline to act – sometimes with the threat of legal action, or penalties if you don’t.Scammers are taking advantage of people’s fears over bills to steal personal and banking information. Automated phone calls, and messages sent by text and email, typically tell you that you need to click on a link and log in to make a payment or claim a refund. Continue reading...

Economics

6 d. ago An influencer plagiarised my life story on TikTok. Social media thrives on mimicry – but this was a step too far | Esme Hewitt

At its best, the internet can be a space where people share stories and ideas. But the line between inspiration and theft can easily become blurredLast month, I wrote an article about being adopted by a British couple during the era of China’s one-child policy. Three days after the story ran in a national newspaper, my phone buzzed with a flurry of messages from a friend who had sent me a TikTok post by an influencer telling her life story to camera. Twenty seconds into her video, my jaw plummeted. She had recited entire sections of my article, word for word, to her 20,000 followers. She didn’t even have the courtesy to give me a credit.When I wrote that piece, the idea of exposing personal details of my life to scrutiny or criticism was terrifying. Even so, it felt right to share this story in the hope that others might find comfort if they too had had similar experiences. What I wasn’t expecting was for someone to take my words and claim them as their own. Continue reading...

Technology

9 d. ago Your phone will make a sudden loud noise next month and this message will flash up

Millions of devices will vibrate and make a siren sound for around 10 seconds - this is everything you need to know

Politics

2 w. ago Police officer who starred in Channel 5 series is banned from force over 'inappropriate, sexist, and racist' texts

PC Andrew Doran (pictured), of Cheshire Police, featured on documentary TV programme Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders, which has been running since 2021.

Events

2 w. ago TV cop 'resigns' from police force after 'sexist' and 'racist' messages found on phone

PC Andrew Doran who appeared on Motorway Cops has been forced to resign from Cheshire Police after inappropriate messages were found on his personal phone

Events

3 w. ago ‘I don’t expect to live a normal life’: how a Leeds teenager woke up with a Chinese bounty on her head

After speaking out about the suppression of Hong Kong’s protests, Chloe Cheung was targeted by Beijing, followed on the street and abused online. Yet she remains defiantIt was Christmas Eve 2024 and 19-year-old Chloe Cheung was lying in bed at home in Leeds when she found out the Chinese authorities had put a bounty on her head. As she scrolled through Instagram looking at festive songs, a stream of messages from old school friends started coming into her phone. Look at the news, they told her.Media outlets across east Asia were reporting that Cheung, who had just finished her A-levels, had been declared a threat to national security by officials in Hong Kong. There was an offer of HK$1m (£94,000) to anyone who could assist in her arrest or capture. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago The moment he saw police he told them: 'I know I'm going to jail'

Leon Gaskell, 28, had messages on his phone which revealed he was involved in the supply of cocaine

Events

4 w. ago Dear Jobs Guru: ‘I found nasty messages about me on my new work phone’

Our Jobs Guru James Innes has advice for a reader who was shocked to find her new phone was full of “harsh” messages after getting promoted. Should she take further action?

Politics