Bank - credit card scams

Elderly people are being targeted with a new telephone scam that involves con men posing as bank staff or police, a fraud watchdog has warned.

The fraud, which has cost victims £7m in a year, is difficult to detect when well-executed, Financial Fraud Action UK said.
 

The criminals instruct the victim to disclose credit and debit card information before emptying the person’s bank accounts.
 

Those who have fallen into the trap have had their life savings wiped out within 24-hours. Around one in four adults in the UK has received a cold call like this. Financial Fraud Action said 43pc of victims have been aged over 50.
 

The new con is dubbed ‘vishing’. It involves a fraudster posing on the phone as someone from a bank or building society fraud investigation team, the police or another legitimate organisation such as a telephone or internet provider.

Remember this advice

Your bank or the police will never ring you and tell you that they are coming to your home to pick up your card or cash. Never hand it over to anyone who comes to collect it.

Your bank will never ask you to authorise anything by entering your PIN over the phone.

Never tell anyone your PIN. The only time you should need to use it is at a cash machine at a shop's chip & pin machine.

If you think that you have been the victim of a scam or fraud of this nature you should inform the police or you bank/card companies A.S.A.P

You can download a Free No Cold Callers message here