HSBC in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man is urging the public to be alert to potential scams following a spate of fraud attacks being reported across the islands with scammers pretending to be from HSBC.
Sadly, fraudsters are criminals trying to trick people out of money. They pose as trustworthy organisations to encourage people to hand over personal or financial information. We see scams where customers are told their account has been compromised, or they need to move their money to a ‘safe account’. This is not genuine and your bank will never ask you to do this.
Our advice to people is to ‘Take Five’ and to stop and think – does this feel right? 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.
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.
We want all our customers to be alert that, if you receive an unexpected phone call about money, there's a good chance it's a scam. 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.
If customers think they may have been scammed, they should contact HSBC immediately using the number on their card or visit a branch if they are unable to call.
HSBC has issued top tips on what to do if you are contacted out of the blue via a call, email or text message:
Don'ts
Do’s
For the latest information and advice, visit our Fraud Guide.
