Suspicious Calls
What to look out for
Fraudsters might contact you or your employees by telephone pretending to be a well-known business (such as your bank or HMRC), a supplier or even another person in your business. For example, they may:
- Tell you your money’s at risk - A fraudster may tell you that due to a security threat or risk to your account you must move your money to a “safe”, “secure” or “holding account”. In reality, this “safe” account is controlled by the fraudster.
- Claim to be a supplier – A fraudster may claim to be one of your suppliers and ask to change their payment details to a new account, which in reality is controlled by the fraudster.
- Request control of your device – A fraudster may claim that there is something wrong with your computer and ask you to download a tool which then gives them access to your account.
- Ask for your card reader codes – fraudsters may try and convince you to give them your card and reader codes. Remember, your “Respond” code gives permission for money to leave your account. Never give this code to an unexpected caller, no matter what they tell you.
What can you do?
There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from these types of fraud.
- Be wary - Don’t log in to your computer or online account just because a caller asks you to.
- Don’t share your card and card reader codes - Make sure you keep your card reader safe and don’t share any of the codes, your password or your PIN.
- Call them back on a trusted number - If the call is unexpected, then they might not be who they say they are. If you’re not sure, say you’ll call back. Always use a trusted number (not the number the caller is using or asks you to use)
- Don’t be fooled by caller ID - Don’t assume a caller is from the business they claim they are from, even if your caller ID says that they are.
- Beware of fake security scares - Never move money if a caller says to do this for “security purposes” to a “safe/secure/holding account”.
- Don’t be pressured - Fraudsters want to worry you to force you to do something quickly. The fraudster might also ask you to “keep it quiet” and not tell anyone about the call. Don’t trust anyone trying to silence you or hurry you up.
- Don’t download or give remote access – Never download anything an unexpected caller asks you to or allow anyone remote access (control of your machine) unless you have asked for the call, or made the call yourself .
- Confirm any details change - If anyone asks you or your employee to change a supplier’s payment details, always call that supplier back separately on the original number you have saved for them to check (not on a new number).
Report it
You can send any suspicious e-mails to: