Impersonation and Contact Scams
The ‘Help Me’ Scam
You are asked to help a loved one in distress
You receive an urgent text from a family member or close friend – but not on their usual number. It might appear to be from your son saying his phone is broken, so he can’t access his bank account: he is texting from a friend’s phone to ask if you can pay his rent, which is late. Or it might be a WhatsApp from your daughter saying she has had her phone stolen on a night out. The message says she is fine but asks if you can send her money for a taxi home.
In fact, the message is from a scammer, using generic wording designed to make parents leap to the rescue (‘Hi Mum, sorry but can you help me out?’).
Stay safe:
- If you receive a message like this, do not reply to the message it or call the ‘borrowed phone’. Instead, call your friend or family member on their usual number to confirm what is going on. (Scammers often avoid phone calls and make excuses.)
- Ask about something only the real person would know e.g. a shared memory or personal detail from the past.
The ‘Security Code’ Scam
You are asked for a security code over the phone
This scam depends on the fraudster knowing some of your bank details in advance, possibly as a result of a data breach affecting an organisation or retailer you have used previously. You receive a call, apparently from the bank’s telephone number, telling you there is suspicious activity on your account. The caller may convince you they are genuine by sharing some of your card details or mentioning the name of your relationship manager. To freeze the account and reverse transactions, they need you to confirm the security code – also known as a one-time passcode (OTP) – that has just been sent to your phone.
In fact, the caller is a fraudster who has your card number and is making transactions in your name, using the security code you have shared with them. If someone asks for a security code over the telephone, it is most likely a scam. The bank will never telephone you to ask for information such as security codes, card details, or login details. Hang up immediately.
Stay safe:
- Never share security codes with anyone over the telephone.
The 'Act Now’ Scam
You are contacted by fraudsters posing as a trusted organisation
Fraudsters send an email or text purporting to be from the government, a delivery company or another reputable organisation. The text message states that you need to fill in a form/update details to receive a winter fuel payment, book redelivery of a parcel, etc. A link takes you to a fake website where you are asked to input bank details. Those details are now in the hands of the fraudsters, who use them to steal money from the accounts.
Stay safe:
- Never click on a link and input personal or payment information such as security codes, card details or login details.
Verify any message by calling back on a trusted number sourced via a search engine, not the number given in the message.
The ‘Safe Account’ Scam
You are asked to move your money
You receive an email from a known shipping company, saying your parcel is held up at customs. The email asks you to pay a small fee via a link, and to provide additional information – which you do. A few days later, a bank official calls to say the shipping message was a scam and your account is now at risk. As a precaution, you should temporarily transfer your money to a safe account that has been made ready at another bank.
The caller is not a bank official, but an imposter using the information you provided. The ‘safe account’ is the scammer’s own bank account. No genuine bank would ask you to transfer money to a safe account; they would simply place a temporary block on your existing account.
Stay safe:
- Always call the company/bank back on the number known to you.
- Watch out for pressure or threatening behaviour – these are red flags for scams.
- Do not assume the person you are speaking to is genuine because they use or mention the name of a C. Hoare & Co. private banker.
