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IT CAN be difficult to tell whether a call, email or text is from a genuine company or not. Fraudsters can make fake messages look genuine – and sometimes genuine organisations will contact you using a number you haven’t seen before.

If you’re concerned a message might be fake, ignore it and contact the company on their official number – either from their website or from previous correspondence.

Don’t click on links in messages or call numbers in them. If you get a call, email or text asking you to move your money to a different account, don’t do it. Even if they say they’re calling from an official government body such as HMRC.

A genuine provider will never ask you to do this.

They will also never ask

ATELL them to say they are busy and hang up if they get unexpected calls – and not to reply to similar texts or emails. Get them to contact

Be wary of texts about payment holidays that claim to be from your credit card company