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Fraud guides

Be in the know and better protect yourself

How fraudsters contact you

See straight through fraud and scams. Here are the latest ways dishonest people are trying to trick you into handing over your money.

Fake telephone calls

Fraudsters call often pretending to be from the bank and encourage you to give your personal details, such as PIN and mobile banking.

Fake emails

Fraudsters send emails pretending to be from a trusted organisation but they’re asking you to give away personal information.

Text message fraud

Fraudsters send texts pretending to be from a trusted organisation telling you a payment hasn’t been made to get your information.

BBC Be Scam Safe

  1. 01

     Don’t respond to any unexpected call, email, or text, without checking first. If it’s out of the blue, check it’s for you

    • If it’s a call, hang up, find a number you can trust, and call back on that
    • If it’s your bank, you can call back using the number on the back of  your card
    • Or, if concerned, dial 159 to be connected securely to most UK banks
  2. 02

    Stop and get a second opinion if you’re being forced to make a decision, or if you feel rushed

    • No legitimate organisation will object to you asking a friend, family member, or colleague for an opinion. Nor will it object to you saying no, or delaying your decision
  3. 03

    Report every scam

    • Even if it didn’t work on you, reporting helps other people 
    • Forward suspicious texts to 88355 , and emails to phishing@ulsterbank.com
    • Report fraud directly to companies involved, so they can alert other customers

For more information go to www.bbc.co.uk/bescamsafe.

See how convincing fraudsters can be

Watch our video showing some examples of fraud and scams and what to look out for.

Types of fraud

Identity fraud

Fraudsters get hold of enough personal information about you in order to impersonate you.

Social engineering

Fraudsters manipulate people so that they hand over personal information such as, passwords and banking details.

Sim swapping

Fraudsters gather enough information about you and convince mobile networks to move your mobile number to their device, giving them access to personal passcodes.

ATM & cash machine fraud

Fraudsters use cash machines to steal your data and even your credit or debit card to make fraudulent transactions 

Investment fraud

Fraudsters often make promises of great returns when investing in their schemes, which often don’t exist or are worthless.

When offers are too good to be true

Purchase scams are when fraudsters target you with tempting offers on the latest phones and designer goods. These ads come across as very convincing and ask you to pay for items that will never arrive.

Types of scams

Romance scams

Romance scams occur when a criminal uses a fake online profile to form a relationship with you. Often the relationship is built up over weeks or months.

Cryptocurrency scams

Scammers are capitalising on the growing attention cryptocurrency is attracting, by offering fake investments that don’t really exist or aren’t worth the money.

Cost of living scams

The inflation rate has been pushed to its highest level in four decades and it’s more important now than ever to be vigilant of possible fraud and scams.

Impersonation scams

Criminals impersonating the bank or police is one of the most common scams we see. It can have a devastating impact on victims so it’s vital you can spot these before it’s too late.

Pension scams

Targeting those who have access to their pension. People are encouraged to move their funds with the promise of better returns. These funds are then stolen.

Get-rich-quick and refund scams

Fraudsters advertise services online to show how you can get quick cash for cancelling a direct debit. However, these claims are false, and you’ll be left out of pocket.

Sign up to our Keeping Your Money Safe event

Learn more about how to stay safe from fraud and scams by joining one of our online customer events. Our experts will take you through everything you need to know, and can answer any of your questions.