Important Security Warning – Please be vigilant

bob2302

About 15-20 years I got a phone call from a very aggressive man with poor English and a barely intelligible Nigerian accent. How demanded that I give him debit card details to pay off my Barclaycard bill. I laughed at it and told him that Barclaycard wouldn't do that.

It turned out that it was real, I'd forgotten the last month's bill altogether and I was late with the current month. Hopefully they've improved.

JohnB47

Recently had a text from my Credit Card provider, quoting a suspicious payment and saying they thought it was fraudulent. Then gave a number to call.

I thought the text was a scam so I called the number on the back of the credit card. Turned out the text was legit and the number was the fraud team.

However I was told I did the right thing.

The curious thing was that I logged onto my account while calling them and there was no indication of a problem. They said that was normal in case the fraudsters had gained access to the account too.

The account was blocked and a new card issued.

I’m now thinking that the text should not have given a phone number to call but should have simply said, call the number on the back of the card.

victor2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82031497#Comment_82031497

That last bit is exactly how my bank handled a suspicious transaction they had declined. I called the number on the card, confirmed it was a fraudulent attempt and they cancelled my card. Interestingly they said they will also remove it from my Google wallet, which they did - it vanished right in front of my eyes! 🙂

twopenny

Yes, back in the day some very clever people were scammed.

However now people are mostly much more aware. Though it must still be worth them doing it. They start by initiating fear quickly followed by ' I'm you friend and going to save you '.

A winning combination unless you know the simple means to check for yourself.

SallyMason88

The best piece of advice I can give is to always insist you'll call the bank / company back directly to proceed. Never ever give consent to anything, or any card or bank details via an incoming call.
If a genuine company calls you, they'll be able to give you a reference number or a direct line to get to them via the regular customer service number, which you should already have. (Never ring back a number they give you - always dig out your paperwork / sign up emails to find the number.
I had genuine fraud on my NatWest credit card about 5 years ago, after my card was skimmed. I got a notification in the app and via a push notification telling me to call the bank immediately - which I did, and it was resolved instantly.

GDB2222

The 159 scheme aims to provide a safe route to get in touch with your bank if you believe you've been contacted by scammers. It's hoped the short code 159 is easy to remember and, unlike many long-form numbers, it cannot be spoofed or impersonated.

Stop Scams UK, the industry body behind the scheme, have recently revealed that one million calls have been made to the '159' anti-scam phone number since its launch in 2021.

How the 159 service works

When calling 159 you'll be asked to provide the name of the bank you want to be connected to – either by saying it out loud or using your keypad. You'll then be directed through to your bank's customer service department.

Calling the service costs the same as making a national rate call, which means if you've got inclusive minutes it'll be taken from those. Though Stop Scams UK, the industry body behind the scheme, says it is working towards making 159 a universal number offered by all telephone providers, similar to 101, 111 or 999.

JohnB47

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82031867#Comment_82031867

I really do want to believe that 159 cannot be spoofed or impersonated but I do wonder if there will be some way in which it is misused in the future.

For now it’s ‘call the number on the back of the card, or as stated on-line’ for me.

victor2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82032737#Comment_82032737

Given that you are calling them, I do not believe it can be taken over, any more than 999 can. But if the scammer has effectively kept your line open to them while you dial (which is why people say use another phone if you can), then it doesn't matter what number you call, you'll still be connected to them.

Edit: I can see how people don't hang up first. Totally different circumstances, but I once called a medical help number on behalf of a very ill person and was told to dial 999. I did that but got the same person who calmly reminded me I needed to hang up first. She was obviously used to dealing with people in stressful situations!

JohnB47

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82032801#Comment_82032801

I understand completely. But could you see that someone could text saying to call 159 and gives that as a link to call. Do you see how that could be directed to a scammer? That’s how a scammer might use the 159 service, as a link, to fool people?

TheComputerGuru

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82025910#Comment_82025910

You only need to watch a few as from what I have seen so far 90% of the episodes are showing varaitions on the same "scam types".