Phone scams typically involve fraudsters deceiving people into believing they are speaking to a police officer, a member of bank staff, or a representative of another trusted agency, such as a government department.
Usually the fraudster will convince an individual that they have been a victim of fraud, and will ask for personal and financial information in order to gain access to their account.
Beware giving bank details
Never disclose the following details:
- four digit card PIN to anyone, including the bank or police
- full password or online banking codes
- personal details unless you are sure who you are talking to
Top tactics to watch for
Another variation of a phone scam involves the fraudster persuading people to transfer money to other accounts or to hand over cash directly to a courier.
The fraudsters are known to encourage people to hang up and call their bank to verify the legitimacy of the call. However, a phone line can stay open for up to two minutes, so the fraudsters remain on the line and play a dialling tone to trick the individual into thinking they’re calling their bank. In fact, the fraudsters are still connected and the individual is not speaking to their bank, but is still connected to the scammers.
To ensure you don’t fall prey to this type of phone scam, remember that in no circumstances would your bank or the police ask you to take such actions.
These types of requests will only come from a fraudster. Our guide helps you if you think you may have given a fraudster your bank details.
What to do if you’re scammed
Fraudsters are very cunning in their tactics so it’s not always obvious to tell straight away if you’ve been scammed. or who to report it to.
Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud and crime reporting centre. It provides a central point of contact about fraud and financially motivated internet crime.
www.actionfraud.police.uk/
0300 123 2040