Fraud - How to Protect yourself, your Money and report suspicions of Fraud
For years, fraudsters have created new and ever-changing tactics to try and part you from your money. Criminal gangs have been quick to capitalise from events such as the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis by tailoring scams to fit our changing lifestyles. Here at FIDBANK UK LIMITED, we do not want you to become a victim of fraud and have set out some guidance on how to protect yourself, your money and how to report your suspicions and remain up to date with the latest scams.
How to Protect yourself
Fraudsters try all sorts of tactics to try to get you to part with your money however if you are vigilant, you can beat them. Here is how they might try:
Keeping your details safe: Criminals will always think of new ways to try and seek your personal information. This can be in the form of a telephone call, email or text. Stay vigilant and if you are unsure, do not respond or click on any of the links and instead visit the website directly.
Protect your Passwords: You should also never reveal your password or share your card details with anyone. No-one from the Bank will ever ask you for your password. Be careful with the level of detail you share on social media sites and regularly check your privacy settings. If your passwords are hard to guess, they can help to protect your online accounts. Choosing a strong password is vital in maintaining high levels of security to your personal details and accounts.
Protect your devices: As well as being vigilant, it is important to keep your devices safe,as they can store lots of personal data. You should ensure that you have anti-virus software installed as well as ensuring your internet browser, device operating systems and firewalls are up to date.
Choosing where you shop: If you are making a purchase from a website or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first. Look online for reviews of the website or person you are buying from. If you are purchasing an item from an online marketplace, you can view the seller’s feedback history before going ahead with the purchase.
Claims for Goods and Services: Question claims that you’re due money for goods or services that you haven’t ordered or are unaware of, especially if you have to pay any fees upfront.
Contact us to report fraud: if you believe that you have been affected by fraud, please contact us right away. You can do this by email or phone on +44 (0) 20 7920 6100 or customerservices@fidbank.ukWhat to watch out for:
Scam Calls: This is when a fraudster calls up and pretends to be us or another organisation that you trust. They may request personal information and say your account is at risk. They may even ask you to move your money to another account. If you are unsure, please hang-up and dial the number on our website or email us at customerservices@fidbank.uk
Scam Messages: This is when a fraudster would send you emails or texts to try get your banking details. They may also use attachments to try to spread a computer virus on your device, or they may ask you to click on a link within the message, the link would then go to fake page asking for information from you. If you are unsure, call or email us at customerservices@fidbank.uk
Debit Card: Plastic card fraud involves the compromise of any personal information from your debit card. Fraudsters might use the information to purchase goods in your name or obtain unauthorised funds from an account. Always look after your cards and card details. Try not to let your card out of your sight when making a transaction. The FBUK Card APP is designed to protect your funds against fraud. We offer Temporary Blocking & Regional Blocking by using your FBUK Card Assist mobile app. This allows you to place blocks on your card when you are not using it and regional blocking for countries you know you will not be transacting in.
Authorised Push Payments (APP): This is when a fraudster deceives you into sending them money usually through a bank transfer. Examples could include a fraudster who poses as a solicitor and asks you to deposit monies for a property transaction, a fraudster who poses as a builder to receive a large cash transfer or a fraudster who impersonates a victim’s friend to persuade them to transfer a sum of money.
Marketplace: Fraudsters can use marketplace sites to sell you goods that are fake or do not exist. Check reviews and do not pay upfront and pay in a secure way such as using your debit card. If you don’t know the seller, never pay by bank transfer.
Account Take-Over: This is when a fraudster gains control of your account and makes unauthorised payments. The fraud could start with a phone call from someone claiming to be from a well-known company. Please do not provide anyone with your account credentials.
Latest Trends:
PayPal Scam: The UK is seeing a large increase in PayPal payment request scams, whereby scammers use PayPal’s money request service to make a seemingly legitimate request for money, but it is for an item/service that you never purchased. People either adhere to the request and make the payment within PayPal, in which case the scam has been successful, or call the phone number the scammers have placed within the transaction message. This phone number can be a premium rate number which costs the caller a large amount per minute on the call and/or gives the scammers another chance to persuade the recipient to make a payment.
WhatsApp Scam: Criminals will typically claim to be a family member and will usually begin the conversation with "Hello Mum" or "Hello Dad". They will say that they are texting from a new mobile number as their phone was lost or damaged and will go on to ask for money to purchase a new phone, or claim that they need money urgently to pay a bill. The criminal will supply their bank details for payment, with some coming back on multiple occasions until the victim realises they’ve been scammed.
Energy Scams: With the rise of energy prices, reports have been made to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) about scam emails purporting to be about energy rebates from Ofgem, the independent energy regulator for Great Britain. In this instance, the reported scam emails claim that the recipient is due an energy rebate payment as part of a government scheme and provides links for the recipient to follow to apply for the rebate. The links in the emails lead to malicious websites designed to steal personal and financial information.
For more on the latest trends, please take a look at the Action Fraud website.How we Protect you
We here at FIDBANK UK LIMITED want to reassure you, our valuable clients, that we take the security of your personal information very seriously and with this in mind we would like to remind you that we will never send an email or SMS or call you asking you for passwords or personal information. From time to time, we may email you however. If you’ve received a suspicious email and the email looks like its from us but something’s not quite right or you suspect a scam, please contact us.
Reporting Fraud
If you believe that you have been affected by fraud, please contact us right away. You can do this by email on either bankingservices@fidbank.uk or customerservices@fidbank.uk. You can also phone us on +44 (0) 20 7920 6100 and selecting option 1 for Banking Services. If you are a business, you can also contact your Relationship Manager or email the team on BD@fidbank.uk
Action Fraud - Take Five
Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. They have launched the Take Five campaign which is a national campaign offering straight forward impartial advice that helps prevent email, phone-based and online fraud particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations. We recommend you take a moment to visit Take Five to learn more about the most common ways criminals are targeting businesses.
https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/