Identity fraud

Fraudsters steal personal information about you to impersonate you. They then take out loans and credit cards in your name, or withdraw cash from your bank account.

How it could happen to you

Fraudsters are always on the lookout for personal information – your name, date of birth, residential address, marital status, email address and, the ultimate prize, your bank account details
To get these, they can try to steal or intercept your post, trick you over the phone and hack your computer or social media account. If you’ve previously disclosed details to a fraudster, your information could also be sold on the black market
Once they have enough personal details to pass themselves off as you, they can apply for credit cards and loans, buy expensive goods and even withdraw cash – all in your name
You only discover the crime when companies start calling you asking for payment or debts to be repaid. Or you try to take out credit for your own genuine purposes and discover your rating has been badly damaged by the fraudsters

How to protect yourself

Check your bank balance regularly for unusual transactions. If there’s something you don’t recognise, call us
Keep a close eye on your credit rating and watch out for unexpected activity. If you start to get post from a company you don’t recognise, find out who sent it and why
Be suspicious of any unexpected phone calls, text messages, emails, or social media posts claiming to be from your bank or other organisations asking for personal information
Never reveal your debit or credit card PIN, PINsentry codes, mobile activation codes, QR codes, or online banking passcodes to anyone. If you’re unsure, contact the requester using a telephone number you know is genuine. Don’t call a number they’ve given you – it could be fake

Cash machine fraud

Fraudsters continue to find new ways to pull off this con, but the outcome is still the same – distracted at an ATM, you lose sight of your card and your bank account is emptied before you realise.

Cash machine fraud

Card fraud

A fraudster gets access to your personal information or steals your credit or debit card details. This lets them spend with your card.

Card fraud

Remote access fraud

Someone calls claiming to be from an organisation you trust. They say there's a problem with your computer or bank account and offer to take remote control of your computer to help fix it.

Remote access fraud

Phishing, smishing and vishing

You get an email, text message or call claiming to be from a company or organisation you trust, like your bank or the police.

Phishing smishing vishing

Mobile malware

Criminals sneak harmful software onto your mobile device. They hide it in apps and updates so you install it without realising. Once installed, the software can steal your personal details and passwords, then log in to your apps.

Mobile malware