Free for one-person businesses, anywhere in the UK
When you are the business, one scam or one dead laptop can stop the work. These are the threats we see hitting tradespeople, freelancers and small shops, and the simple steps that stop them.
What it looks like: An email from a supplier, or a fake copy of your own invoice sent to a customer, with new bank details.
What to do: Always ring to confirm new bank details on a number you already have. Put "we never change bank details by email" on your invoices.
What it looks like: A message about a tax refund, a penalty, or a fee to "renew" your company registration.
What to do: Log in through gov.uk yourself. Forward HMRC scams to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, or texts to 60599.
What it looks like: An email that takes you to a Microsoft or Google sign-in page to open a shared file or invoice.
What to do: Check the address bar before typing your password. Turn on two-factor sign-in so a stolen password isn't enough on its own.
What it looks like: A caller says your Google listing will be removed, or an invoice arrives for a website domain you don't recognise.
What to do: Google doesn't cold-call to sell listings. Check your domain renewal only with the company you actually registered it with.
Read them here, or print the whole pack.
ARK Care plans give a one-person business managed antivirus, backup, updates checked and a team to call when something goes wrong. We support you remotely anywhere in the UK. If a machine needs the workshop, post it in and we'll courier it back. No long-term commitment.
