EIGHT THINGS YOUR BANK WILL NEVER ASK YOU (BUT A FRAUDSTER MIGHT)

In a bid to protect customers from fraud, the UK’s big banks have published a list of things they will never ask you to do. Sadly the list does not include “to repay your mortgage” or “to come into a branch for a ‘review’ of your needs”, but with luck it will save some from falling victim to the assorted phishing, vishing (phishing by phone) and courier (sending someone round to collect your card) scams which seem to be permanently doing the rounds. These all involve conmen pretending to be from your bank or building society or the police in a bid to get hold of your details. The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) reckons that millions of people are opening themselves up to possible fraud, while a survey by Santander found that a third of people aged over-65 were unfamiliar with the most common types of scams, double the proportion of younger people.

A leaflet and a new website, Know Fraud, No Fraud, have advice on how to avoid becoming a victim, and what to do if you get caught out as well, as well as the list of requests which should ring alarm bells. Here is the list; read it and share it with people you know who may be less clued-up on these kinds of things.

According to the list your bank will never:

·         Ask for your full Pin or any online banking passwords over the phone or via email

·         Send someone to your home to collect cash, bank cards or anything else

·         Ask you to email or text personal or banking information

·         Send an email with a link to a page which asks you to enter your online banking log-in details

·         Ask you to authorize the transfer of funds to a new account or hand over cash

·         Call to advise you to buy diamonds, land or other commodities

·         Ask you to carry out a test transaction online

·         Provide banking services through any mobile apps other than the bank’s official apps.

Culled Guardian