We do everything we can to prevent fraud and keep you secure. We also recommend that you take steps to protect yourself and know what to do in the event of fraudulent activity.
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Tackling Fraud
The fraud guide
How to protect yourself
Protection starts with awareness. Follow best practice and learn how to spot the red flags that signal fraud.
How we verify your identity
We verify your identity to make sure we're speaking to you, not a fraudster. This helps keep your accounts and personal information secure.
Common fraudulent activities
See our directory for details of the most common scams, of the many different types of fraudulent activity, from bank impersonation to investment fraud.
Think you've been scammed?
Call our fraud team immediately on 020 7770 0011 (Relay UK 18001 020 7770 0011) if you:
- want to report anything suspicious
- think you've been the victim of fraudulent activity
- are concerned someone is trying to scam you
- believe any sensitive details may have been shared
- have engaged with a suspicious link or responded to a suspicious message
- have any concerns or uncertainties relating to fraud.
If you receive a suspicious email, forward it to phishing@coutts.com. If you receive a suspicious text, forward it to 88355.
How we protect you
We use a combination of industry-leading technology and monitoring to identify suspicious activity.
How we verify your identity
We use a combination of verification methods to ensure we are speaking with you.
Pause and check
If you receive an unexpected call, email or message claiming to be from Coutts, it's important to pause and check.
To make sure a call from us is genuine, you can arrange an agreed word or phrase – called a ‘challenge word’. If the caller cannot tell you what your challenge word is, put the phone down – it’s not Coutts.
To set up a challenge word, simply ask your Private Banker or contact Coutts 24.
Be wary if someone claiming to be from Coutts asks you:
- to approve transactions using passcodes,
- make payments via a digital wallet,
- or pressures you to act quickly.
These are common scam tactics.
Things we will never ask you to do:
- We will never ask for card reader codes, app passcodes, or activation codes
- We do not use WhatsApp or FaceTime to verify your identity.
Please treat any such request as a scam and contact us straightaway on a number you trust.
Help us keep you safe
Our priority is to protect the security and privacy of our clients. As part of the NatWest Group, we work with skilled security researchers worldwide to identify and correct any potential vulnerabilities in our technology.
We also value your input. If you find a potential security issue on coutts.com, please take a moment to report it.
Fraud learning hub
Like to know more? Explore this comprehensive resource of information featuring short videos and full-length recordings of our in-depth fraud events.