Customers across the UK have been warned after a surge in emails from criminals
impersonating banks.
There were 151 reports of fraudulent emails sent to NatWest customers during
two weeks, according to reports from Action Fraud.
In the emails, victims are told that their online banking contact number has been changed
and then prompted to click an email to “cancel the request”.
The link will lead to a page asking for financial information, meaning the fraudsters are then
able to access the victim’s bank account.
To avoid falling foul of these scams, NatWest has issued advice and highlighted red flags to
watch out for when receiving suspicious emails.
People should be cautious of emails that urgently ask for financial information, often asking
them to make quick payments which creates a sense of panic and attempts to rush
decision-making.
Emails can also be used to trick people into sending funds to different accounts for
“safe-keeping” purposes.
A spokeswoman for NatWest said: “Your bank or the police will never ask you to transfer
money to a safe account or ask for your full PIN, password or passcode.
“The bank won’t phone you and ask you to approve a payment– only approve payments
that you know you’ve made yourself.”
Those who receive unexpected contact from the bank should reach out to them directly
instead of using a known email or phone number.
The company warned people to never respond to emails asking you to divulge your full pin
or password and that official NatWest emails would only ask for random characters.
Anyone who thinks they may have received a fraudulent email has been asked to forward
the email to report@phishing.gov.uk
Read more about how to protect yourself from Impersonation Scams.
Have you lost money to a scam? Contact National Fraud Helpline. Call 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.