Common scams

Paid ad spoofing is a type of fraud where criminals pay to place fake ads online. They often appear at the top of search results or on social media. And they look very similar to ads placed by your insurer, so it’s easy to mistake them for the real thing.

You might see these ads if you’ve been in a car accident and you’re quickly searching for info online. And you could be tricked into calling the fraudsters, thinking you’re phoning your insurer for help.

If you do, they’ll ask for your personal details. And they’ll offer you support services, like vehicle recovery or a replacement car. But if you agree to their terms, even without realising, you could be left out of pocket.

If the other driver’s at fault, the scammers might claim against their insurer. And you might not even notice.

If they can’t recover all the costs, or you were at fault, you could face bills for recovery, storage and hire cars. These could run into thousands of pounds.

Authorised Push Payment fraud (APP fraud) happens when someone tricks you into sending money to them. You may be contacted by phone, text message, email or social media and they may sound very convincing, pretending to be your bank, the police, an energy company, a retailer or holiday company. If you’re suspicious, hang up and contact the company on a trusted number, or report the messages and texts.

If someone you don’t know calls to ask for personal details or to transfer money into a bank account, it’s probably a vishing scam. Vishing is like phishing, but happens over the phone. The scammer may pretend to be from your bank, internet/phone provider or even the police.

How protect yourself:

Text scams, otherwise known as smishing, can be just like email scams, appearing to be an official message from your bank or phone provider – examples are a security alert or special offer for customers. These texts contain a link to a fraudulent site or a fake phone number to call. They often tell you to act fast, so you don’t have time to stop and think.

How to protect yourself:

Our computer systems have specialised multi-layered security to protect your accounts, but fraudsters may instead try to access your computer using malware.

What's malware?

It’s harmful software designed to infect your computer without you realising. It can take control of your machine and steal your security or bank details.

How to protect yourself:

Fraudulent emails, often called phishing emails, trick you into sharing personal information or access to your accounts. They can be very convincing, and anyone can be fooled by them.

How to protect yourself:

Cifas is a not-for-profit fraud organisation. It provides information and tools to help you understand fraud and financial crime, and advice on how to protect yourself.

If you’ve been a victim of identity fraud, or are worried your personal data is at risk, they offer Protective Registration. This is a paid-for service with Cifas that aims to protect against identity fraud for two years. You might be at a higher risk of identity theft if:

To help protect you, Cifas’ Protective Registration adds a warning flag against your name on a register that’s shared with other organisations. That means they know to pay close attention if your details are used to purchase products or services.