Scammers can pretend to be someone you trust—whether it’s a friend, family member, or a well-known company. Once they gain your confidence, they’ll trick you into sending them money or handing over valuable items. Some even send couriers to collect your bank card, PIN, or cash.
How they might target you
- A fake message from a ‘friend’ – You get a text from someone claiming to be a friend or relative, saying they’ve lost their phone and are using a new number. They ask you to send them money—urgently.
- A delivery scam – A message from a ‘delivery company’ claims you need to pay a fee to arrange or reschedule a delivery.
- A fake bill or tax demand – You receive a call, email, or text that looks like it’s from a trusted company, saying you need to make an urgent payment for an overdue bill or a tax issue.
- A fake police investigation – Someone posing as the police tells you they’re investigating your local bank and asks you to withdraw cash as ‘evidence.’ They then send a courier to collect it.
- A bogus bank request – A caller claims to be from your bank and says you need to send in your card, offering to arrange a courier. They might trick you into revealing your PIN or ask you to send it along with the card.
- A ‘safe account’ scam – Someone impersonating your bank or the police tells you your money is at risk and that you need to move it to a new account.
How to protect yourself
- Be wary of unexpected money requests – Scammers often impersonate people you know. Always double-check.
- Don’t click on suspicious links – Especially if they ask for payments or personal details.
- Hang up on unexpected payment requests – If a company calls unexpectedly asking for money, end the call. Use a different phone to call them back using the number on their official website.
- Use your banking app to verify calls – If your bank calls and you’re unsure, ask them to send a notification to your app to confirm the call is real.
- Never share your PIN – Your bank will never ask for it over the phone.
- Don’t hand over cards, cash, or valuables to couriers – No legitimate organisation will ask you to do this.
- Think twice before withdrawing large sums of cash – If someone is pressuring you to do so, question why.
- Remember, the police won’t ask you to move money – They also won’t ask for your help with investigations by withdrawing or transferring funds.
- Never allow remote access to your device – If someone calls unexpectedly and asks for it, it’s a scam.
- Avoid payment requests for unusual items – No genuine company will ask you to pay for something by buying vouchers, jewellery, or gold.
- If something feels off, trust your instincts. Take a moment to verify before taking action.
Source: various financial blogs and articles