Victims losing more money to impersonation scams - how can you stay safe?

Impersonation scams often cost unsuspecting victims thousands of pounds - and the financial hit is getting bigger.

New figures from Lloyds show that victims have lost £3,516 on average to impersonation scams in the last year.

That’s 10% higher than it was in the previous year.

What are impersonation scams?

Fraudsters approach targets via phone, text, email or social media claiming to be a familiar or trusted organisation, such as a bank, the police, HMRC, Amazon or a broadband or mobile provider.

They’ll then trick them into clicking links and entering their personal or financial details, or moving their money into a so-called safe account.

Scams often come with red flags

While scammers pretend to be institutions or brands that you know or trust, there may be some clues that they aren’t what they seem.

For example, Liz Ziegler of Lloyds said genuine businesses and organisations won’t ever “ask you to lie or keep things to yourself”.

Similarly, she said a bank or the police will never ask you to move money, and that “if you hear the words ‘safe account’, it’s a scam”.

“A scam message is designed to rush you,” Ms Ziegler added.

“It will make you feel you need to act straight away or keep things secret.

“If you’re contacted unexpectedly, real organisations will always give you time to check things are genuine.”

What other warning signs should I look out for?

There may also be other warning signs that a message or website isn’t genuine, such as:

• unusual website domain names
• poor quality images
• spelling errors
• asking people for bank transfers

So look closely at any communications you receive or links to external pages.

Just a quick inspection might throw up some clues that it’s a scam and save you lots of money and upset.

We’ve put together more tips on how to protect yourself from scammers here.

How to report a scam

If you spot a scam or believe you’ve been defrauded, report it to Report Fraud at www.reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

If you get a scam email, forward them to [email protected], and if you received a dodgy text, forward it to 7726.

What else can I do if I’ve been scammed?

If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam:

• contact your bank or card provider immediately and explain what has happened
• change any passwords that may have been compromised
• monitor your accounts for suspicious activity
• run a security scan on your device and ensure your software is up to date

The sooner you act, the better your chances of limiting any financial loss and protecting your personal information.

Check out our guide on how to outsmart online scammers for more tips to help you stay safe.