Protect yourself from scammers

Remember these important clues so that you can identify scams and keep your account and information safe:

Never feel pressured to give information (such as your credit card number or account password) over the phone, especially if the call was unexpected. Scammers may try to use calls, texts, and emails to impersonate a bank, HMRC or other service provider such as Amazon.

 

 

 

Never pay over the phone. If you’re asked to provide payment information, including gift cards (sometimes called “verification cards” by scammers) for products or services over the phone stop immediately.

Be wary of false urgency. Scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they’re asking. Some may offer a rebate if you act quickly; others may threaten you with immediate arrest. Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now.

 

Use authentic channels. Always go to the relevant app or website when seeking customer support or when looking to make changes to your account.

 

Don’t click the link. If you receive an email asking you to do something by clicking the link, then don’t. If you want to check if you need to do the thing being asked of you sign into that account and see if there is a message or request there for you to act on.

 

If you’re ever in doubt the best and safest thing to do is to end the call or chat and contact the provider’s customer support team either through their app or website.