Impersonation scams

When someone pretends to be the police, a bank, a friend or business, to convince you to send them money.

How it could happen to you

You receive an email, text message or call that looks or sounds like it’s from someone you know or deal with – scammers impersonate other people and companies by making calls or text messages that look like they’re coming from a genuine number
They might say that they need money urgently, you’ve got an outstanding bill to pay or that your internet isn’t working. If you’ve been contacted unexpectedly, always treat it as suspicious
Scammers will try to rush or panic you. They might say there’s been fraud on your account and you need to move the money to protect yourself – this is a sure sign of a scam
Scammers can change their caller ID to disguise their real identity and make it look like someone you know is calling – known as ‘number spoofing’. If you receive messages or calls out of the blue, especially ones asking for money, always call the person back using a number you trust

Stop. Challenge. Protect.

Think twice before opening links in text messages and emails, especially ones that ask you to provide personal information or make a payment
Never give remote access to your computer following a cold call from someone
Nobody legitimate will ever ask you to transfer your money to a ‘safe account’ or say that ‘your money is at risk’. If this happens, it’s a scam