Q749: I suspect I have been a victim of fraud. What can I do?

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 Report 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.  

This could be a case of a bank error, fraud or identity theft. See also Q506 (What is identity theft and what can be done about it?) for further information about identity theft.

You should immediately contact your bank/credit card company to report the discrepancies and to terminate your card. The bank/company will have their own fraud department and, if necessary, may investigate the matter in conjunction with the police. Take the credit card company/bank's advice on whether they want you to report the matter to the police, as it could just be a mistake, or, they may take on that responsibility, as in some cases they are the actual victim suffering losses, as you are likely to receive your money back.

Further Action:

If you think all of your credit/debit card(s) details could have been compromised you should contact the relevant banks and the credit card companies to stop your cards, as necessary.

If you think you have been the victim of identity theft, moving forward, you should ensure personal and financial information is kept secure, shredded or otherwise destroyed to prevent any further incidents. Do not put such material in the bin or take it to the dump/tip.

You should always be aware of information on your computer being accessed and take any appropriate security measures.

There are a number of possible security threats you should be aware of -

• Someone could pretend to be you, using ID documents and personal information;
• Your card could be cloned. Be very careful when using cashpoint machines, particularly in public places. Criminals can put a realistic front on the machine which reads your card details, and a video camera photographs your pin number. Opportunist thieves could be looking at you entering your pin number, then snatch the card from you to then go on and use the card. Always cover the pin number entry with your other hand or by some other means if you can.
• Someone could use your personal details, obtained by a variety of means, to obtain cash or property.

For more information, please see the websites in Related Information.

The police do not deal with benefit fraud, the Benefits Agency prosecute their own cases.

If you suspect someone of committing benefit fraud then contact the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

You can also report suspected benefit fraud online or by post.