HSBC is urging Islanders to be alert to potential fraud attempts following a spike in reports of scammers pretending to be from the bank.
The high-street bank has advised its Channel Island customers to ‘Take Five’ and stop and think – “does this feel right?”
The JEP this week reported that Jersey’s financial crime unit was investigating after fraudsters posing as HSBC scammed 68 victims out of more than £2 million.
A statement from HSBC said: “Your bank will never ask you to share passwords or PIN numbers, or to move your money. If in doubt, call your bank on the number shown on the back of your debit card.
“Protecting customers from scams and fraudsters is a priority for us. Our advice to customers if they receive a suspicious call, is to not provide personal security information including security codes.
“HSBC will never ask customers to disclose security information including passwords and codes. Do not click or reply to a message stating it is from HSBC.”
The statement continued: “We have expert teams working around the clock to identify suspicious transactions amongst the many millions made each day, but people can also help protect themselves by taking note of fraud warnings when making payments, and keeping up to date with the latest scam warnings which are highlighted on our website and social media channels.
“Scammers may claim to be a business or authority you know and trust. They may know personal details about you and can even make their phone number look authentic using ‘number spoofing’.
“But if someone calls you out of the blue and asks you to move money or share your account details, just hang up.”
HSBC has issued top tips on what to do if you are contacted out of the blue via a call, email or text message:
· Stop and think – if it’s unexpected, be suspicious
· Don’t call numbers in messages or emails without checking they’re genuine
· Don’t click on unfamiliar links, but go to the official website or app
· If in doubt, check with a friend or family member before taking action
Find out more on their online Fraud Guide.
