Research for the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign finds that nearly one in five people feel uncomfortable saying ‘no’ to a request for personal information from a stranger via email or text, rising to almost a quarter when it comes to phone calls.
By being too polite to say no, we’re putting ourselves at risk of impersonation scams.
An impersonation scam is where a criminal pretends to be from a trusted organisation such as a bank, building society, or other service provider. The criminal then tricks their victim into transferring money using a range of cover stories. These include claiming they need to protect an account from fraud, that a fine or tax needs to be paid or an erroneous refund must be returned.
To help people from falling victim to these types of scams, Take Five are urging people to Stop, Challenge, Protect when being asked for their information or money.
When receiving a call asking for personal or financial information remember to:
- STOP: Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
- CHALLENGE: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
- PROTECT: Contact your bank or building society immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.
If you receive an unwelcome call asking for personal and financial information from someone claiming to be from Loughborough Building Society and feel that it’s fraudulent, please get in touch with us on 01509 631960 and we’ll be able to confirm for you whether the call was real or not.
If you think you’ve been a victim of impersonation fraud, get in touch with Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.