Identity theft
Identity theft is when a fraudster steals your personal information to impersonate you, open accounts, obtain credit or set up businesses.
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Spotting scams
Direct debit scams
What's a direct debit scam?
You’ll see an advert or be contacted on social media about making some quick, easy money by claiming back refunds on your direct debits via your bank. The criminals will ask for your personal details, which they’ll use to make a direct debit refund request with the bank.
They'll take a cut of the refund as payment for letting you know about the service. Unfortunately you’ll still owe the money to your service provider because this was a false claim, plus whatever you owe as a result of the scam. You’re also left out of pocket from the ‘fee’ you paid to the criminals.
Tips on how to spot a direct debit scam
- Watch out for approaches or adverts on social media offering schemes to make quick, easy money – these are a scam.
- Criminals will ask you to lie to the bank regarding any payment requests. If you’re being told to lie to the bank, it’s a scam.
Steps to protect yourself
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01
Never reveal your bank account information, including login details, passwords, or One-Time passcodes, to anyone.
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02
Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is.
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03
If you feel like you're being rushed or forced into giving your personal information, you can always refuse or ignore the request.
How to report fraud
If you think you may have been victim of a direct debit scam then we're here to help.
Pension scams
A fraudster encouraging someone with access to their pension to move funds, where the money may be lost or unreasonably charged.
Impersonation fraud
Criminals pretend to be a trusted organisation, may say your account is at risk and ask you to move your money to a ‘safe account’.