Scotland crime news: Bank issues urgent warning to households over prolific Impersonation Fraud

TSB has warned people to watch out for impersonation fraud after new figures show scammers tried to gain more than £2 billion in under a year.

The bank has released data showing that third of TSB fraud cases since the start of the year have been due to impersonation fraud.

They have categorised impersonation fraud as an attack in which a criminal impersonates a company, business, organisation or an individual as the key component of the scam.

Companies including Amazon and Hermes, as well as other postal companies and banks have been impersonated.

Scotland crime news: Bank issues urgent warning to households over prolific Impersonation Fraud

New industry figures highlight the ever-present threat of fraud – with over £2 billion worth of cases reported to Action Fraud in under a year

Paul Davis, director of fraud prevention at TSB, said: “Households are bombarded with scam calls, texts and emails every day – we're urging them to remain suspicious of any unsolicited contact, to avoid falling victim to fraud at a time when the impact would be hardest felt.

“We continue to be the only bank to protect customers from fraud losses, through our Fraud Refund Guarantee, which is as important now as it’s ever been to the lives of our customers."

Advice from the bank on what to look out for includes, with the vast number of spoof calls made every day, being suspicious of any out of the blue contact you receive, keeping your guard up and not letting yourself be easily convinced.

Despite the complex tricks of fraudsters, the bank added that a guaranteed defence that will always win is ‘hang up or delete the message’.

It also urged everyone to take their time and to avoid rushing or panicking, and said that a bank’s fraud department will never ask a customer to make a transfer. Instead, it said to hang up and dial 159 to confirm if it’s really your bank.

Phil Andrew, chief executive at StepChange, said: “In tough times fraud and financial difficulty go hand in hand.

"The pandemic has left many households with little or no ability to cope with financial shocks.

“People who have lost money to fraudsters need quick and effective help and support, so it’s particularly welcome to see refund support offered to victims of fraud.”

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