Telltale signs of fraud that should make you hang up

Vicky Shaw reveals the six sneaky tricks favoured by fraudsters trying to scam unsuspecting victims – and gives advice on how to avoid being fleeced

If someone calling you out of the blue sounded like a “nice person”, would you be more likely to trust them?

If the answer is “yes”, you could be falling straight into a fraudster’s trap.

Here is how you can spot the sneaky tricks fraudsters are using to gain people’s trust and con them into handing over personal details such as passwords and Pin numbers.

“Old-fashioned” methods

LAST year around £2m was lost every day to financial fraud, and with banks continuously investing in security systems to thwart hitech fraudsters, criminals are turning to more old-fashioned methods to trick people into voluntarily handing over their personal details or even transferring cash directly into their bank account.

They will simply call their intended victim up and persuade them to hand over this information.

Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK), which works to fight financial fraud, has been working with a speech pattern analyst, whose analysis uncovered common patterns in the language that fraudsters will use to try to gain people’s trust.

Dr Paul Breen was able to detect six telltale speech patterns by listening to real-life scam telephone calls.

The findings were released as part of FFA UK’s Take Five campaign against financial fraud, which is backed by major banks and key financial services providers in the UK. The campaign encourages people to pause for thought before doing something they might later regret.

Here are the six language tricks Dr Breen found:

Con artists will use snippets of information about you, which they have gathered together from different sources, to make it sound as if they know what they’re talking about.

They will create a false balance of power by using apologetic language – for example, saying they are sorry for taking up your time – as a way of making you feel sympathetic towards them.

They will remain patient as they continue to build up layers of seeming authenticity until you’re eventually convinced they’re legitimate.

Fraudsters may pose as someone in authority such as a fraud detection manager or a police officer investigating an ongoing crime.

On the whole, people claim to be cautious of trusting strangers without meeting them – one in three (38%) claim to “never really trust anyone” when speaking over the phone.

However, the analysis suggests fraudsters are well-prepared forthis reaction. Contrary to what might be expected, fraudsters may welcome your scepticism – and seek to turn it to their own advantage by acknowledging your concerns about being security-conscious.

A sign of a con may be the caller switching the tempo of their speech – increasing or decreasing the pressure by creating a false sense of urgency or using understanding language.

Why we’re susceptible

CONSUMER research from FFA UK found the top three factors which would make us more likely to trust a stranger over the phone are among the common tricks Dr Breen found were used by fraudsters.

When asked to rank factors that make us more likely to trust a stranger over the phone, the most popular was “sounding like a nice person”, chosen by 46% of people.

This was followed by “sounding like they know what they’re talking about”, chosen by 42%, while nearly a third (30%) listed “offering to help with a problem”.

So if you find yourself on the phone to a stranger, remember that the Take Five campaign says you should never disclose security details such as your Pin or full banking password. Listen to your instincts and do not allow yourself to be rushed or pressured into doing something you wouldn’t normally do, such as transferring money into a stranger’s bank account.

If in doubt, put the phone down.