Q968: How can I protect myself against online dating scams?

Scammers will contact you and may pretend to be from your bank, HMRC or the police, they may do this over the phone, email, text message or social media apps. They warn you that there has been suspicious or criminal activity with your bank account, and then explain they have set up an account (a safe account) that you can transfer your money to. This will always be their account, and even if they say it’s in your name you will not be able to access it.

Protect yourself:

• Always be suspicious of a cold caller claiming to be from your bank or a position of authority.
• Someone who is genuinely from a trusted authority or an official from your bank will never ask you to confirm your details.
• Make sure you get the callers details and then check the details independently.
• Banks do not set up safe accounts for people to transfer money to.
• Never transfer money to someone unless you are 100% sure.

If you think you have been the victim of a scam such as this, we recommend that you contact your bank as soon as possible. You should also report it to Action Fraud. See Q807 (Is this a scam?) for details on the different types of scams and the related information for guidance on how to protect yourself from scammers.

• Be wary of anyone approaching when you are at a cash machine,
• Always shield your PIN (Personal Identification Number), the best way is to stand close to the cash machine and cover the keypad with your purse/ wallet or spare hand,
• If your card is ever retained by the machine do not leave the cash machine. Report it immediately by calling your card issuers number.

• Always go through your bank statements and check which are contactless, to make sure you recognise them all,
• Don’t let anyone take your card out of sight for payment under any circumstances. They could use this time to copy the information stored in the magnetic strip or the CCV code on the back of the card,
• If your card or phone, with card payments, enabled on it, are ever stolen inform your bank as soon as possible.   

• Making sure any passwords or memorable information are chosen with care, try to make them as random as possible,
• Always keep any banking apps or software up to date by downloading updates when prompted,
• Remember to log out of your online banking account or app every time, simply closing the app/ web page or turning off your device may not be enough,
• If you use any banking apps/ websites in public take care to shield your PIN, passcode or any passwords used,
• It is difficult to tell if public WI-FI spots are secure so never use them for banking,
• Never share any security codes, passwords or memorable information that can be sued to access your account with anyone,
• If your bank ever calls you get a reference code from them, then hang up and call them back using a number you know is safe. Such as one on their website or listed on your banking information. Only call back once the line has been cleared, if you are unsure about this call using a different phone than the one they contacted you on.  

Zoom is a video conferencing app. Zoom Bombing is a cyber-attack on your video call where an individual or a group of people enter the call without the permission of the host. These individuals then display offensive or explicit images in order to cause distress to the recipients.

Whilst the term Zoom Bombing originated in relation to the Zoom app, similar cyber attacks can impact other video conference facilities such as Microsoft Teams. 

Video conferencing helps many people work remotely and allows us to stay in touch with our families and friends. Unfortunately as worldwide use of video conferencing continues to increase, so has the volume of cyber-attacks.

The links in Related Information provide details of how to secure your Zoom meeting and prevent unwanted people joining.

If you have experienced Zoom Bombing, this can be reported to Zoom or other application and, depending on the nature of the content, your local police force.

Phishing emails and texts claiming to be from HMRC have become more prevalent over the past few years. The links in Related Information provides examples of phishing emails from HMRC and genuine HMRC contact details. The links may help you decide if contact from HMRC is genuine.

Fraudsters ask for immediate action. Be wary of emails containing phrases like 'you only have 3 days to reply' or 'urgent action required'. Remember, phishing emails are common for all sorts of issues. As a rule of thumb, never click on links contained in suspicious emails or open attachments.

Please see Q1023 (Where can I report a suspicious / phishing / scam email?) for how to report a suspicious/ phishing/ scam email.

If you have already responded to a suspicious message, take the following steps:

• if you have provided your bank details, contact your bank as soon as possible and let them know,
• if you have lost money, tell your bank and report it as a crime to Action Fraud,
• change your passwords, this goes for email and all accounts and create new, strong passwords,
• if you have opened a link or followed instructions to install software, run a comprehensive virus scan,
• if you have received the message on a work laptop or phone, contact your IT department and let them know.