WATCH OUT FOR... Sharp rise in impersonation scams

What’s the threat?

Impersonation scams – calls, emails and texts – doubled in the first half of 2021, according to UK Finance. Research from the trade body shows that between January and June cases rose from just under 15,000 to 33,115, while the amount of money stolen increased from £57.9m to £129.4m.

In these scams, fraudsters pretend to be from a trusted organisation such as a bank, the police, a Government department or a service provider. They use a range of stories to trick you into handing over your bank details, including the need to protect your account from fraud, to pay a fine, or to enable you to receive a tax refund.

How can you stay safe?

One way you can protect yourself is simply by being less polite when scammers contact you. UK Finance said that almost one in five people feel uncomfortable saying no to a request by text or email for personal information.

Worryingly, this rises to 23 per cent for phone calls. Most people admit that the reason they agree to reveal their details is because they don’t want to appear rude. Rather than hanging up or simply saying ‘no’, people use less abrupt phrases such as ‘I’m not sure’, ‘I don’t think so’, ‘Let me think about it’ and ‘I can’t at the moment’. Each of these gives the fraudster a way into the conversation, like a doorstep scammer shoving their foot in your doorway.

Nobody likes to be rude, but as soon as you realise a phone call is a scam you should end the call without saying anything. It won’t hurt the scammer’s feelings – and who cares if it did? They’ll just move on to their next potential victim.