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Heal t hEducat i on

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Educat i on’ sExcl usi vePr oductoft heMont h

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Suppor t i ngLocalGover nmnet ,NHS,Publ i c&Pr i vat eHeal t hRecr ui t ment

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Hacker st ar getbusi nessowner swi t hCovi d19 VAT def er r alscam LONDON,Thur s day17t hSept ember2020–Bus i nes s owner shav ebeent het ar getofanewemai l phi s hi ngs c am pur por t i ngt obef r om HM Rev enue&Cus t oms( HMRC) . Thes c am,whi c hwasunc ov er edbyac c ount anc yout s our c i ngs pec i al i s t sLanopOut s our c i ng,us esof f i c i al HMRC br andi ngandgr aphi c st oc onv i nc ev i c t i mst hatt hei rVAT def er r al appl i c at i onhasbeenr ej ec t ed.Atl eas t100c ompanyowner shav er epor t edr ec ei v i ngt her eal i s t i cs c am emai l t hr oughLanopOut s our c i ngc l i ent s . T oai ds t r uggl i ngbus i nes s esdur i ngCov i d19,HMRCal l owedpay ment sofVATbet weenMar c h2020andJ une 2020t obedef er r edunt i l 31s tMar c h2021.Cy berc r i mi nal s hav eus edt hes c hemet ot r i c kbus i nes sowner si nt or ev eal i ngs ens i t i v ei nf or mat i on,s uc hasac c ountnames , pas s wor dsandpay mentdet ai l s . Thephi s hi ngemai l begi ns :“ Dearc us t omer s ,Yourr eques t f oradef er r al ofVATpay ment sduet oc or onav i r us ( COVI D19)hasbeenr ej ec t ed… Summar yofr ej ec tj us t i f i c at i on:‘ t hec l ai manti si nar r ear s . ” Theemai l t henat t empt st oc onv i nc et her ec i pi entofi t sl egi t i mac ybyat t ac hi ngaf al s edoc umentwi t h“ mor edet ai l s andaf ul l r epor tony ourappl i c at i on, ”whi l s tal s os har i nga oneus epas s wor dr equi r edt oopent hedoc umentand s ugges t i ngt hatt heor i gi nal appl i c at i onhasal s obeenr es har ed. Thev i c t i mi st henr edi r ec t edt oaf al s ewebs i t eandpr ompt edt oent erc er t ai ns ens i t i v ei nf or mat i on,s uc hasemai l , pas s wor dsandpay mentdet ai l swhi c hi st henhar v es t edby t hehac k er . Cy bers ec ur i t yex per tSt ev ePeak e,UKSy s t emsEngi neer ManageratBar r ac udaNet wor k sc omment s : “ Thi sphi s hi ngat t ac ki st hel at es ti nas er i esofHMRCbr andedemai l s c ams ,des i gnedt ot r i c kbus i nes s owner si nt ohandi ngov erc onf i dent i al dat a.Wi t hmany c ompani ess t r uggl i ngduet ot hedi s r upt i onc aus edbyt he Cov i d19out br eak ,wehav es eenar eal upt ak ei nt he numberofCov i dr el at edat t ac k st ar get i ngbus i nes sowner s andempl oy ees .I nf ac t ,wer ec ent l yobs er v eda667% s pi k ei nc or onav i r us r el at eds pear phi s hi ngat t ac k sf r om Febr uar yc ompar edt oMar c h,dur i ngt hes t ar toft heUK’ s l oc k down.Thus ,i twasonl yamat t eroft i mebef or ehac k er st ar get edt hegov er nment ’ sVATdef er ments c hemeasa newr out et oobt ai ni ngt hebankdet ai l sofuns us pec t i ng v i c t i ms .

“ Soc i al l yengi neer eds er v i c ei mper s onat i onat t ac k sus i ng t r us t edbr andsi sunf or t unat el yagr owi ngpr ac t i c ewhi c h c anbeav er ys uc c es s f ul met hodofat t ac k ,es pec i al l y whenc ombi nedwi t ht hec ur r entwor l ds i t uat i on.At t ac k er s f r equent l yr el yont hi sf or m ofat t ac kasi tdel i v er sani ns t antl ev el oft r us twi t ht heemai l r ec i pi ent ,wi t hmanyor gani s at i onsl ac k i ngt hel ay er eds ec ur i t yappr oac ht hat moder ndayemai l s ec ur i t yr equi r es . “ Combat t i ngt hi si s s uer equi r esbus i nes sowner sandent r epr eneur st ak eemai l s ec ur i t ys er i ous l y ,ens ui ngt her i ght s y s t emsar ei npl ac et ohi ghl i ghtandbl oc kpot ent i al l ymal i c i ousors us pi c i ousemai l sbef or et heyr eac ht hei nbox . I t ’ sal s oc r i t i c al t hatev er ymemberofs t af fi spr oper l y t r ai nedt os pott hes es c ams ,es pec i al l ywi t hs omany peopl es t i l l wor k i ngr emot el y .Forex ampl e,HMRCwi l l nev eras kf orc r edent i al sofanyk i nd,andi t ’ si mpor t ant t hatus er sunder s t andt hi saswel l asot herbas i cs ec ur i t y pr ec aut i ons ,s uc hasc hec k i ngt hewebs i t eofanyr eques t di r ec t l y ,andnev erc l i c k i ngl i nk ss entv i aemai l . ” Shahz adAl i ,Managi ngDi r ec t or ,LanopOut s our c i ng,c omment s : “ Thi ss c am i soneoft hemos tdec ei t f ul andr eal i s t i cphi s hi ngat t ac k swe’ v es eens i nc et hes t ar toft heCov i d19 pandemi c ,andi t sv eneerofl egi t i mac yi sj us ts t r ong enought hatc onc er nedbus i nes sowner sc oul deas i l yf al l i nt ot het r apofhandi ngov erper s onal i nf or mat i on. “ I nt hes et r y i ngt i mes ,ac y berhac ks houl dbet hel eas tof bus i nes sowner s ’ wor r i es ,andi t ’ ses s ent i al t hatt he s our c eofal l s i gni f i c antemai l s ,par t i c ul ar l yt hos epur por t i ngt obef r om agov er nmentagenc y ,s houl dbev er i f i ed bef or eanyf ur t herac t i oni st ak en. ” AboutLanopOut s our c i ng LanopOut s our c i ngi saf i r m ofqual i f i edc har t er edac c ount ant swhohav ebeens er v i ngbot hUKandEUbas edc l i ent sf orov erf oury ear s .Ourt eam i swel l equi ppedand upt odat e,andi sc ompr i s edoff el l owmember sf r om ACCA,I CAEW,CI MAandI CMAwi t hv as tex per i enc ei n ac c ount i ng,t axandf i nanc i al mat t er s . Ourt eam ofqual i f i edc har t er edac c ount ant sandt axs pec i al i s t sequat est oahi ghqual i t yofwor katar educ edc os t . Theywi l l t ak ec ar eofc ut of fdat esandens ur et hatt hey ar eal l meti nat i meef f i c i entmanner ,s ot hewor r yof meet i ngc er t ai ndeadl i nesc anbet ak enof fy ours houl der s andputont oour s . ht t ps : / / l anopout s our c i ng. c om/

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LocalGover nment-Leader shi p

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LocalGover nment-Legal&Fi nance

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LocalGover nment-Housi ng,Pl anni ng&Envi r onment

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UK empl oyment–Gr eenshoot saswhi t ecol l arvacanci es r i seagai n -Per manentandcont r actvacanci esi ncr eased17% mont honmont hi nSept ember -Dai l yt r acki ngr eveal sopt i mi sm f orOct oberwi t hper manentvacanci esup25% i nt hesecondhal foft hemont handi nt er vi ewsup20% -Year onyeardat ar eveal st heper cent agedr opi nannualhi r i ngl evel si scl osi ng

Mar ketRepor tf r om t heOf f i cef orNat i onalSt at i st i cswhi chr eveal edt hi sweek t hatvacancynumber shadseenaquar t er l yi ncr easeof144, 000bet weenJul y andSept ember ,whi l et henumberofpeopl ei npayr ol l edempl oymentgr ew by20, 000i nSept ember .

Hi r i ngi nt heUKi sbegi nni ngt oshowsi gni f i cantgr eenshoot swi t hanupt i cki n mont honmont hvacancyandpl acementnumber si nSept ember ,whi l et heper cent agedr opi nyear onyearf i gur escont i nuest or ecoverdespi t eongoi ngeconomi cuncer t ai nt y .That ’ saccor di ngt ot hel at estmont hl yRecr ui t mentTr ends Snapshotr epor tf r om TheAssoci at i onofPr of essi onalSt af f i ngCompani es ( APSCo) .

Thi supt i cki nposi t i vi t ycanal sobeseeni nt hedai l yt r acki ngdat awhi chr eveal edt hatt henumber sofnewper manentvacanci esaddeddur i ngt hel ast t woweeksofSept emberi ncr eased25% whencompar edwi t ht hef i r stt wo weeks.Cont r actvacanci esal sogr ew9% dur i ngt hi st i mef r ame.

Per cent agedr opi nyearonyearhi r i ngcl osi ng

“ I t ’ shi ghl yencour agi ngt oonceagai nseeanupt i cki nmont honmont hvacanci esandpl acement sf ol l owi ngt heexpect edseasonalbl i pi nAugust .Sept emberwascer t ai nl yvi ewedast hemont hwher ewewoul dhaveacl ear eri ndi cat i onofhowt heUKwi l lf ar ei napost l ockdownenvi r onmentasschool s r eopenedandat t empt st or et ur nt obusi nessasusualcont i nued.Thef actt hat t hegapi nyear onyearvacanci esandpl acementcont i nuest ocl osei ndi cat eswear esl owl ybutsur el ymovi ngi nt her i ghtdi r ect i on. ”

Thedat a,pr ovi dedbygr owt hanal yt i cspl at f or m,cube19,r eveal edar i sei n mont honmont hhi r i ngi nSept ember ,f ol l owi ngaseasonalbl i pi nAugust .Per manentandcont r actvacanci esbot hsawa17% i ncr ease,whi l epl acement s r ose27% f orper manentand13% f orcont r act . Year onyearf i gur esshowedt hemostpr omi si ngsi gnst hathi r i ngl evel si npr of essi onalsect or swer er ecover i ngf r om t hei ni t i ali mpactoft hepandemi c.Whi l e vacancesandpl acement swer edownannual l y ,t heover al lper cent agedr op hascont i nuedt of al l .Sept emberyearonyearf i gur esshoweda33% dr opi n per manentvacanci escompar edwi t h43% i nAugustwhi l et hedr ophadhal ved t o15% f r om 30% f orcont r actvacanci es. Thi si mpr ovementi nyear l ycompar i sonsi ndi cat esagr owi ngl evelofhi r i ngconf i dencet hatl ookssett ocont i nueasweent erQ4ont hebackoft hePr i meMi ni st er ’ s‘ Bui l dBackBet t er ’ pl anandt heext ensi onofwagepr ot ect i onandbusi nessl oanschemes.Thedat ai sal soi nl i newi t hr esul t soft hel at estLabour

Dai l yt r acki ngi ndi cat esopt i mi sm f orOct ober

AnnSwai n,CEO ofAPSCocomment s:

JoeMcGui r eGl obalSal esDi r ect oratcube19comment s: “ We’ r epl easedt oseet her ecover ycont i nui ngi nSept emberandt hest r ong doubl edi gi ti ncr easesacr ossmostoft hekeymet r i csi sencour agi ng.Remot e hi r i ngandonboar di nghasbeenwi del yadopt edandt hi si snodoubti mpact i ngt her at eofr ecover y . ” Rel easef r om Bl ueSkyPR

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