Bank suspicious activity

Eyeful

1. My bank called for the first time yesterday, I told them I would ring them back.
First, just to make sure the line was clear I phoned & spoke to my sister.
Then called the bank back on their known number and had the query sorted out.

2. Suggest next time your mother is called by someone claiming to be her bank,
(a) She just writes down the name bank who calls, tell them she will phone them back, then hang up
(b) Have her first phone & speak to you, (or wait 10 mins).
(c) Then call this bank on their known number & speak to them.

3. That way she can be sure she is speaking to her bank & not a scammer.

lir7

born_again said:

Yes they do, some anyway.
But best advice is tell her to hang up (bank won't mind) & call back on a known number for the bank. Making sure if using a landline, that there is a dialing tone. Or even better a different phone.

Thanks.  She said the other side hung up which added to my thoughts this was a scam.  

lir7

Enzo_L said:

 I didn't press anything and it cut off after about 20 seconds.

She said the other side hung up which added to my thoughts it was a scam.  No mention of Visa or buttons to press.

lir7

MyRealNameToo said:

What did they ask? What did they instruct her to do?

Some banks call, mine tend to text rather than call but then for me they have a mobile number on file and may call if they only had a landline dunno. 

If they told her to go online and move her money to a "safe account" or give them a security code that they are sending her then it's a scam. If they just asked if you made a transfaction for £3 to Amazon just now and asked nothing more likely then it's likely a legitimate call. 

I don't think they asked her to do anything (she couldn't remember the details) but she said they hung up, probably because she didn't respond.  I really think it was a scam.

[Deleted User]

Both times I had fraud on my CC, one HSBC and one RBS, I received a text asking was it me making a payment, I said no, then someone called me, but I didn’t give much info to them.

a lloyds bank transfer was blocked one, again I received a text but had to call them. And I went through the main number.

born_again

lir7 said:

born_again said:

Yes they do, some anyway.
But best advice is tell her to hang up (bank won't mind) & call back on a known number for the bank. Making sure if using a landline, that there is a dialing tone. Or even better a different phone.

Thanks.  She said the other side hung up which added to my thoughts this was a scam.  

Even if it was the bank they would hang up.. Staff can't sit on the line all day waiting for other party to hang up. Targets to be met.

MyRealNameToo

lir7 said:

MyRealNameToo said:

What did they ask? What did they instruct her to do?

Some banks call, mine tend to text rather than call but then for me they have a mobile number on file and may call if they only had a landline dunno. 

If they told her to go online and move her money to a "safe account" or give them a security code that they are sending her then it's a scam. If they just asked if you made a transfaction for £3 to Amazon just now and asked nothing more likely then it's likely a legitimate call. 

I don't think they asked her to do anything (she couldn't remember the details) but she said they hung up, probably because she didn't respond.  I really think it was a scam.

I mean if she can't remember what they said and she can't remember what she said and so maybe she just silent called them then both scammers and genuine bank agents would both hang up after a while of silence. The difference is that the bank would probably then switch to another communication method (text, letter etc) but that could take a while to arrive if she doesnt have a registered mobile with them. 

Ergates

MyRealNameToo said:

lir7 said:

MyRealNameToo said:

What did they ask? What did they instruct her to do?

Some banks call, mine tend to text rather than call but then for me they have a mobile number on file and may call if they only had a landline dunno. 

If they told her to go online and move her money to a "safe account" or give them a security code that they are sending her then it's a scam. If they just asked if you made a transfaction for £3 to Amazon just now and asked nothing more likely then it's likely a legitimate call. 

I don't think they asked her to do anything (she couldn't remember the details) but she said they hung up, probably because she didn't respond.  I really think it was a scam.

I mean if she can't remember what they said and she can't remember what she said and so maybe she just silent called them then both scammers and genuine bank agents would both hang up after a while of silence. The difference is that the bank would probably then switch to another communication method (text, letter etc) but that could take a while to arrive if she doesnt have a registered mobile with them. 

Exactly this.

The facts of the matter are: 
1) OP's mother received a call purporting to be from her bank. 
2) There are circumstances when a bank will call a customer. 
3) Sometimes scammers call people pretending to be their bank.

Therefore, the call *may* have been from her bank, but equally it *may* have been from a scammer pretending to be her bank.

Given we don't know what the person on the phone said or asked, we don't really have any information upon which to base a conclusion as to which it was, or even which is more likely.

It sounds like no harm was done though as OP's mother didn't tell the person anything so *if* it was a scammer, they didn't get anything.

danco

I had a call recently where the caller wanted me to answer some security questions. It was a genuine call from the bank, and I had reason in advance to believe the call was genuine. But I did not think it was safe to give out the security details requested, so made my now call later on

mjm3346

I get scam calls sometimes "this is your bank security department" then they list a couple of purchases (maybe Apple or Amazon) and the message says something like press 1 to dispute the charges - now as soon as the recorded message starts I hang up but when just out of curiosity I listened to it all the call just terminated if nothing was pressed.