Wednesday 02-11-2022 - 09:21

Scams - signs to look out for

It might be a scam if:

• it seems too good to be true – for example, a holiday that's much cheaper than you'd expect 
• someone you don't know contacts you unexpectedly
• you suspect you're not dealing with a real company – for example, if there's no postal address
• you've been asked to transfer money quickly
• you've been asked to pay in an unusual way – for example, by iTunes vouchers or through a transfer service like MoneyGram or Western Union
• you've been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs
• you haven't had written confirmation of what's been agreed
   

What to do if you think you've been the victim of a scam or fraud

If you've transferred money within the last 24 hours, call the police on 101 and report it immediately.

If you’ve paid by bank transfer:

Contact your bank immediately to let them know what's happened and ask if you can get a refund.

Most banks should reimburse you if you've transferred money to someone because of a scam. This type of scam is known as an ‘authorised push payment’.

If you've paid by Direct Debit, you should be able to get a full refund under the Direct Debit Guarantee.

If you can't get your money back and you think this is unfair, you should follow the bank's official complaints process. If your complaint isn't sorted out in 8 weeks, or you get a final response letter, you can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman.

After you've told your bank about the scam, keep an eye on your bank statements and look out for any unusual transactions.

Write down the details of your scam. This will help you remember all the important information when you report it.

Make sure you include:

• who you've been in contact with – write down names, numbers and addresses if you have them
• why you're suspicious
• what information you've shared – for example, passwords, PINs, or bank details
• whether you've paid any money
• how you've paid – for example, credit card or bank transfer

You should report all types of scams to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud.

Action Fraud can get the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau to investigate scams. They'll also give you a crime reference number, which can be helpful if you need to tell your bank you've been scammed. 

Action Fraud

Telephone: 0300 123 2040

You should also report the scam to the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.

Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Lines are closed on bank holidays.

Once they have all the information they need, they'll pass this on to Trading Standards.

Trading Standards gathers information about scams so they can take legal action against scammers.

Trading Standards will decide whether to investigate. They might contact you for more information, but they might not.

Depending on what they find, they could prosecute the scammers or stop them from operating. Even if Trading Standards don't contact you, they might still use your evidence to take action in the future.