Santander has issued a warning to its customers amid a rise in fraud cases, with victims losing an average of £647. The bank, which operates branches across the UK including Birmingham, has cautioned people about ‘social engineering’ tactics used by fraudsters.
According to Santander, fraudsters attempt to deceive individuals into sharing personal information or making payments by impersonating trusted organisations, friends, or family members. These scams often create a false sense of urgency through phone calls, texts, emails, or social media messages.
An official message from the bank states: “Fraudsters try to trick you into sharing information or making payments. This is known as social engineering. They often impersonate trusted organisations, friends, or family and create a sense of urgency through phone calls, texts, emails, or social media messages.”
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Santander advises customers who suspect they may be targeted by scams to call 159, a national stop scams helpline that provides secure verification of contacts claiming to be from banks.
Interpol, the world’s largest international police organisation, describes social engineering fraud as a broad category of scams exploiting a person’s trust to either obtain money directly or gain confidential information for subsequent crimes. While social media is the preferred channel for these crimes, criminals may also use telephone calls or in-person contact.
Some scams attempt to reach a wide audience in hope of trapping multiple victims, while others focus on specific individuals. Examples include phishing attempts-fake emails, texts, or calls claiming to be from legitimate sources such as banks-which aim to steal personal information.
Other widespread threats include telecom fraud, where victims receive calls from someone pretending to be a friend, relative, or authority figure who then pressures them into sending money. There are also incidents where criminals hack corporate payment systems to convince employees to transfer funds into fraudulent accounts.
Moreover, less common but equally damaging scams include romance fraud, sextortion, and investment fraud such as boiler room scams, where victims are persuaded to purchase worthless or fraudulent shares.
The bank encourages everyone to stay vigilant and consult their Fraud Hub for more information on identifying and preventing scams, emphasising that recognising warning signs can help protect individuals and their loved ones from financial harm.