Telephone scams are also known as ‘vishing’. This is when a scammer calls you and wants you to hand over your personal info or transfer money.
Scammers can fake their caller ID. It can look like they're calling from a different number, like your bank's. We call this 'number spoofing'.
We call this an Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam. Our APP scam page has all the info you need to keep safe.
How it works:
- You think it’s a call from someone you should trust - like your bank, HMRC or even the police.
- They use tactics to make you panic. Like saying your account’s been hacked or you’ve not paid a bill. They can even spoof telephone numbers to make them look genuine.
- They ask you to ‘run through some security questions’ which helps them gain access to your account. Sometimes they’ll ask you to transfer money quickly or move your money to a ‘safe account’.
- Surprise surprise, that account is their account.
How to avoid being scammed:
- Hang up and call back. Use the official number from the back of your card. Or from the company’s official website. Not the one they gave you during the call.
- Breathe - don’t be rushed. A real bank or company will never pressure you into transferring money on the spot. And, we’ll never ask you to put money in a ‘safe account’.
- Never share your PIN, password or one-time passcodes. We don’t need these to help you.
