Why Scammers (Often) Win: My Bank Holiday Nightmare Protecting My Identity (That Wasn't Even Stolen!

GregTK

Hey everyone,

Ever had that sinking feeling in your stomach when you realise you might have just handed over sensitive information to the wrong people? I had that dubious pleasure over the recent bank holiday weekend, and it’s left me convinced that scammers often have the upper hand, simply because protecting yourself is an absolute mission.

It all started with a call, supposedly from the DWP. Bad line quality, a slightly off-kilter suggestion to call back on a bank holiday Monday… but I kind of was expecting their call (Voluntary NI contributions), so my guard was down. Before I knew it, I'd given my National Insurance number and Date of Birth. Cue instant panic: "I've been phished!"

So, I did what any clued-up person would do: I sprang into action to secure my identity. Or at least, I tried.

The Bank Holiday Scramble – Why Scammers Must Love Weekends:

My first thought was Cifas Protective Registration. Great idea, right? A flag on your credit file to prompt extra checks. Except their online payment system flat-out refused to work. Multiple browsers, no joy. So much for immediate protection when you need it most.

Then onto the Credit Reference Agencies:

• Experian: Credit where it's due, they were pretty good. I managed to activate a trial, lock my credit report, and request a password be added (though you don’t get immediate confirmation, which is still a bit nerve-wracking).

• Equifax: More hoops. Needed photo ID, utility bills just to get an account for a trial, and then got an upsell pitch. Again, all while I’m imagining fraudsters having a field day with my details. No way to add the Password Notice of Protection until Tuesday.

• TransUnion: Honestly, don't even get me started. Trying to get anything done online felt impossible. I emailed to request a Password Notice of Correction, and the automated reply? They’d handle my enquiry in the next 28 DAYS. Twenty. Eight. Days. By then, a scammer could have bought a small island in my name! As a consumer, it's terrifying. As a lender, how could you possibly rely on a system with that kind of lag? It feels like a shocking lack of duty of care.

And ActionFraud? Turns out, they're mostly for reporting fraud that's already happened, not for registering an attempt or getting proactive help. Plus, like most official channels, they’re not exactly working around the clock on a bank holiday weekend. And the SMS number you can supposedly use to report scam telephone numbers... Sure, it doesn't work.

The irony is, scammers don't stick to office hours. They thrive when legitimate support channels are closed or slow.

The Punchline?

After a stressful long weekend spent diving deep into the world of credit reports, fraud markers, and password protection, I finally got through to the DWP on Tuesday. The call I received? It was genuine. From their Data Gathering team. Apparently, the pre-call text message doesn't always arrive on time. So, the DWP's rather shambolic communication had sent me into a tailspin of unnecessary panic and action.

Why Scammers Win (Even When They Don't Attack YOU Directly This Time):

All my efforts were, in this specific case, overkill. But the experience was a stark lesson:

1. It's incredibly difficult to take swift, decisive action to protect yourself, especially outside of standard 9-5 business hours.

2. Systems often aren't user-friendly when you're under duress. Failed payment portals and 28-day response times are a gift to fraudsters.

3. Lack of clear, immediate confirmation from some services just adds to the anxiety.

4. Poor communication from legitimate organisations (like the DWP in my case) can inadvertently cause immense stress and mimic scammer tactics!

While I "lucked out" this time, the whole ordeal showed me just how vulnerable we are. If it had been a scam, the delays and obstacles would have been a disaster. As a consumer, even when you know what steps to take, the system seems stacked against you getting timely help.

I learned a lot, that's for sure. But it shouldn't be this hard to protect ourselves.

flaneurs_lobster

Your points are well-made. It's often hard to get through to the people you think need to do stuff, even if it's not entirely clear exactly what that stuff actually is. 

The initial, genuine, phone call from the DWP.

They ring you in order to collect your DoB & NINo? 

Rather surprised that they don't already have those pieces of information. Or are they verifying that the phone number belongs to the DoB/NINo individual?

ShinyStarlight1

GregTK said:

Hey everyone,

Ever had that sinking feeling in your stomach when you realise you might have just handed over sensitive information to the wrong people? I had that dubious pleasure over the recent bank holiday weekend, and it’s left me convinced that scammers often have the upper hand, simply because protecting yourself is an absolute mission.

It all started with a call, supposedly from the DWP. Bad line quality, a slightly off-kilter suggestion to call back on a bank holiday Monday… but I kind of was expecting their call (Voluntary NI contributions), so my guard was down. Before I knew it, I'd given my National Insurance number and Date of Birth. Cue instant panic: "I've been phished!"

So, I did what any clued-up person would do: I sprang into action to secure my identity. Or at least, I tried.

The Bank Holiday Scramble – Why Scammers Must Love Weekends:

My first thought was Cifas Protective Registration. Great idea, right? A flag on your credit file to prompt extra checks. Except their online payment system flat-out refused to work. Multiple browsers, no joy. So much for immediate protection when you need it most.

Then onto the Credit Reference Agencies:

• Experian: Credit where it's due, they were pretty good. I managed to activate a trial, lock my credit report, and request a password be added (though you don’t get immediate confirmation, which is still a bit nerve-wracking).

• Equifax: More hoops. Needed photo ID, utility bills just to get an account for a trial, and then got an upsell pitch. Again, all while I’m imagining fraudsters having a field day with my details. No way to add the Password Notice of Protection until Tuesday.

• TransUnion: Honestly, don't even get me started. Trying to get anything done online felt impossible. I emailed to request a Password Notice of Correction, and the automated reply? They’d handle my enquiry in the next 28 DAYS. Twenty. Eight. Days. By then, a scammer could have bought a small island in my name! As a consumer, it's terrifying. As a lender, how could you possibly rely on a system with that kind of lag? It feels like a shocking lack of duty of care.

And ActionFraud? Turns out, they're mostly for reporting fraud that's already happened, not for registering an attempt or getting proactive help. Plus, like most official channels, they’re not exactly working around the clock on a bank holiday weekend. And the SMS number you can supposedly use to report scam telephone numbers... Sure, it doesn't work.

The irony is, scammers don't stick to office hours. They thrive when legitimate support channels are closed or slow.

The Punchline?

After a stressful long weekend spent diving deep into the world of credit reports, fraud markers, and password protection, I finally got through to the DWP on Tuesday. The call I received? It was genuine. From their Data Gathering team. Apparently, the pre-call text message doesn't always arrive on time. So, the DWP's rather shambolic communication had sent me into a tailspin of unnecessary panic and action.

Why Scammers Win (Even When They Don't Attack YOU Directly This Time):

All my efforts were, in this specific case, overkill. But the experience was a stark lesson:

1. It's incredibly difficult to take swift, decisive action to protect yourself, especially outside of standard 9-5 business hours.

2. Systems often aren't user-friendly when you're under duress. Failed payment portals and 28-day response times are a gift to fraudsters.

3. Lack of clear, immediate confirmation from some services just adds to the anxiety.

4. Poor communication from legitimate organisations (like the DWP in my case) can inadvertently cause immense stress and mimic scammer tactics!

While I "lucked out" this time, the whole ordeal showed me just how vulnerable we are. If it had been a scam, the delays and obstacles would have been a disaster. As a consumer, even when you know what steps to take, the system seems stacked against you getting timely help.

I learned a lot, that's for sure. But it shouldn't be this hard to protect ourselves.

Thank you for sharing your experience - it’s important we know this.

Ayr_Rage

@ShinyStarlight1 there have already been several topics mentioning the text messages and verification calls.

It just seems to be a filter to confirm identity and phone number and whether the enquirer still requires a callback from DWP.

A search of the forum before taking action is always a good idea rather then jumping in feet first, so few bother.

dreaming

Ayr_Rage said:

@ShinyStarlight1 there have already been several topics mentioning the text messages and verification calls.

It just seems to be a filter to confirm identity and phone number and whether the enquirer still requires a callback from DWP.

A search of the forum before taking action is always a good idea rather then jumping in feet first, so few bother.

The person who did my callback (a couple of weeks ago now) actually told me that it was to be able to direct my query to the correct section and that she could not at that point answer any questions. As I already draw my state pension it needs to go to a different team to those who have not reached that age yet (for example). I did not get a text to say they would ring but obviously was expecting it as I had requested it some weeks ago.