Latest scam warnings

At M&S Bank we work hard to help you stay one step ahead of fraudsters and on this page you can keep updated about the latest types of scams.

Vishing scams

As people are more available at home during lockdown, criminals are exploiting the situation with vishing scams.

’Vishing' involves a fraudster phoning a potential victim and posing as someone from your bank, the police, HMRC or another trusted, legitimate company.

Their objective is to trick you into moving your money or giving up sensitive information such as your online password or ‘one time passcodes’ to enable the fraudsters to transfer money to an account under their control or purchase valuable goods online. 

Always remember M&S Bank will never ask you to disclose your security details such as your PIN, online password or temporary ‘one time passcodes’ and would never ask you to move your funds to a “safe account”.

Top Tips:

• Don’t give in to pressure – If someone tries to coerce you into giving up sensitive information, hang up the phone.
• Stay calm and don’t panic – Since these criminals frequently play on your emotions, keep calm and hang up the phone. If you still feel anxious, wait 10 minutes and then call your bank, credit card company, or whoever the caller claimed to be on a number you can trust to verify whether there is a real problem.
• Be sceptical at all times – Even if the Caller ID matches the name or number of a bank, charity, or some other company or organisation, it could be a trick.

SIM swap and number porting scams

There's been an increase in criminals taking over mobile phone numbers using SIM swap and number porting fraud.

This gives fraudsters control of their victims’ calls and texts and allows them to authorise payments set up in online banking, using personal data they've gained through social media or social engineering.

With SIM swap, they contact the network provider impersonating their victims. They claim their phone has been damaged and ask for a new SIM for their new device.

Number porting is similar - the criminals impersonate their victims to get the PAC code (porting authorisation code), which is needed to switch from one network to another. Sometimes they might also hack into their online mobile phone account. Once they have the code, they move the number to a new network provider. Other techniques include claiming their SIM has been damaged and asking for a replacement, either by phone or in a shop.

Criminals often glean personal data for their impersonations from social media.

If calls and texts stop working on your phone, your number could have been stolen – particularly if you're in a place where you normally have good reception. This is because a mobile phone number can only link to one SIM at a time.

If this happens, contact your network provider straight away. If you can’t get through, contact your bank to remove the phone number from your account.

Coronavirus fraud

Criminals are using the coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity to try to steal money.

They're posing as organisations such as banks, government, the World Health Organisation or other health service providers, and pretending to offer things like a safe haven for your money or medical guidance. They’ll then try to trick you into giving personal or financial information.

These claims are made in fake emails, phone calls, texts and social posts using coronavirus as a cover story. Remember, M&S Bank will never ask you for any PINs or passwords or to move money to a safe account.

Find out more about the latest coronavirus scams we're hearing about.

If you think you've been targeted by a coronavirus scam, report it to Action Fraud.

To get more help protecting yourself against fraud, visit the Take Five website. You can also download our scams leaflet.

Flybe scams

Criminals are exploiting holidaymakers following the collapse of the airline Flybe. They're trying to scam people into revealing personal and financial information.

They do this by:

• Pretending to be an employee of the affected company
• Asking for your bank account details to process refunds quicker
• Offering alternative airline flights for an extra cost
• Pretending to help with the aftermath of the collapse 

So be wary of emails, texts, letters, social media messages or phone calls offering help in reclaiming your refund from Flybe. If you're not sure about someone who's contacted you, visit the Take Five to Stop Fraud website. Remember, M&S Bank will never ask for your telephone security number or information from your Secure Key. 

If you think you may have given information to a criminal, call us immediately on 0345 900 0900 - this number can be checked against the number on the back of your card.

Tax year scams

The end of the tax year is seen by fraudsters as an opportunity to make 'social engineering' attacks.

These can be: 

• Scam emails 
• Scam texts
• Bogus phone calls

Watch out for messages pretending to be from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) saying you've received a tax rebate and asking for your account details.

To spot a scam, look for these tell-tale signs: 

• Poor spelling and grammar 
• Requests for confidential information such as online banking details, passwords or PINs
• Offers of money or rewards, like lottery prizes
• Warnings your account may be shut down unless you take some type of action 

If you get a suspicious email or text, don't reply or click on a link and don't open any attachments. If you think you're being targeted by a bogus phone call, don't be afraid to hang up.

Digital banking at home

We know that during the Covid-19 outbreak, many of you don't want to come into a branch. Our branches are either on reduced hours or closed at the moment. Our phone lines are also very busy. But if you're at home, you can still use online and mobile banking. They’re an easy way to manage your everyday banking in your own time, from the comfort and safety of your home. This means even if you’re self-isolating you can:

• manage your account
• make payments and transfers
• check your balance and more

By using online and mobile banking, you can help to keep our branch and phone banking services available for the most vulnerable. If you're new to digital banking, rest assured your money and personal data is secure.