Santander issue warning as pensioners lose £6,000 in devastating scam | Personal Finance | Finance
As fraud continues to rise, Britons are reminded to stay vigilant when online and receiving any random calls or texts.Unfortunately, a couple has fallen victim to an impersonation scam that left them thousands down.
Impersonation scams happen when a fraudster contacts individuals pretending to be from their bank, the police, or another trusted organisation to convince them to send them money.
On the Santander website, it explains that these types of scams create a sense of urgency – a reason to panic to stop people from thinking straight.
If in doubt, Britons are urged to drop the call, and call the organisation back after a few minutes to avoid falling victim.
The couple were initially telephoned by a fraudster posing to be an officer from the Met Police.
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The man informed them their bank account had been targeted and they needed to act quickly to protect their money.
The criminals were very calculated as they had told the couple what to say at the bank if they were questioned about the reason for the large cash withdrawal.
The couple, who are trusting to anyone in authority, did exactly what they were told to do.
Sadly they handed over the money to a man who turned up at a prearranged time and date who gave them a key phrase and name so they could trust the person who would be knocking at their door.
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On their website, Santander offer examples of what may constitute as impersonation fraud.
They explained that fraudsters will use a variety of methods to contact people, so “always be cautious and check that the request is genuine,” it stated.
Fraudsters may try and contact people though their social media or by calling them or sending a text.
Telephone, text, or email It states: “This is when someone contacts you claiming to be someone they’re not, for example your bank, Amazon, HMRC, a parcel company, or even the police. Fraudsters want you to act urgently and try to pressure you into clicking a link, revealing your security details, or to transfer or withdraw your money.”
Social media Fraudsters send messages or make contact through messaging services like WhatsApp, direct messages, Facebook and any social media platform. They may pretend to be a friend or loved one in need of help.
