Fraud

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 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.

A 'money mule' is someone who transfers stolen money on behalf of criminals through their own bank account.

Criminals will contact a person, either on the internet (via social media, a fake job advertisement) or in person, and offer to pay them for use of their bank account to receive stolen money and transfer it to another account.

Most of the money being transferred is stolen money and is used to fund further criminal activity such as terrorism and fraud.

Criminals usually target vulnerable people who are in financial difficulties as these people may see being a money mule as an opportunity to make money.

Once a person has transferred the money successfully there is a high chance that the criminals will want to repeat the process and may use intimidation if someone does not comply.

It is a criminal offence to let someone use your bank account for this activity and you could face a prison sentence of up to 14 years if caught. You could also have your account closed and find it difficult to access credit.

If someone asks you to use your bank account, report it to your local police force. Please see the link in Related Information for contact details.

Please also see the related topic, County Lines, in Related Information.

This could be a case of a bank error, fraud or identity theft (see question Q506 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, 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 you should ensure personal and financial information is kept secure, shredded or otherwise destroyed (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;
◾ 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.

Thousands of British Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca for Hajj in October, which involves millions of pounds being spent on travel and accommodation. Unfortunately for some Muslims, this is shattered by fraudsters who trick them into thinking they have paid for a tour package for themselves and their families. They offer fraudulent flights, accommodation and visas - with some Muslims arriving in Saudi Arabia to find that their trip does not exist and is in fact a scam.

Below are a few tips to help protect yourself and your family against Hajj Fraud:

• Make sure you research the companies you are using; don't book anything without carrying some basic checks on the travel company.
• Check whether the travel company you want to use is a member of a recognised body (e.g. ABTA).
• If you are booking flights, make sure that the company is ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing) protected by the Civil Aviation Authority.
• Make sure you get all bookings confirmed in writing.
• DO NOT pay by cash or direct bank transfer into an individual's account. This makes it extremely difficult to recover your money.

If you are the victim of Hajj Fraud, you should report this to Action Fraud who specialise in dealing with fraud and financially motivated internet crime. You can find their link, and other useful websites in Related Information.

Property is usually the most valuable asset that people own. It can be sold and mortgaged to raise money which makes it an attractive target for fraudsters. You are more at risk if -

• your identity has been stolen (see Q506 on identity theft)
• you rent out your property
• you live overseas
• the property is empty
• the property isn't mortgaged
• the property isn't registered with HM Land Registry.

Property alert is an award winning property monitoring service aimed to help anyone who feels a registered property could be at risk from fraud. Please see the links in related information to their website and for guidance on what steps you can take to protect your property from this.