Spot common Scams

• Simply, it's the theft of your personal or financial details. Criminals use these details to impersonate people, open bank accounts, obtain credit or set up businesses.
• Once your details are stolen, you could become a victim of identity fraud.

Identity fraud - what to look out for

Protect your PIN, cards and cheque books

• Bills, invoices or receipts addressed to you - for goods or services you haven't ordered
• Letters from solicitors or debt collection agencies regarding debts that aren't yours
• Letters or statements for bank accounts you did not open
• Transactions appearing on your bank statements (normally withdrawals) that you don't recognise
• New accounts showing up on your credit report
• Documents like your passport, driving licence, utility bills or bank statements have gone missing

What can you do?

• Remember to keep your personal details secure at all times.

How to protect yourself

• If you think you have been the target of identity fraud, contact your bank or card issuer immediately - call the telephone number on your statement.
  
  

Some people have been approached by criminals, usually by email, offering a one-off or series of payments in exchange for providing their account details.

Criminals need a 'money mule' (or money transfer agent) to launder the funds obtained as a result of fraudulent activity.

After being recruited by the fraudsters, money mules receive funds into their accounts which they will then withdraw and send overseas using a wire transfer service, minus a certain commission payment.

Money mules are recruited by a variety of methods, including spam emails, adverts on genuine recruitment web sites, approaches to people with their CVs available online, instant messaging and adverts in newspapers.

This type of scam targets the unwary - and could help third parties to conceal the fact that these funds are the proceeds of crime.

Avoid becoming a money mule

• Never respond to or become involved in any such request, no matter how attractive the payment terms
• Remember - assisting a criminal transfer of monies to another account could make you subject to criminal investigation, which may lead to your prosecution
• Report suspected fraud to us

Have you ever received an email or letter which offers a large reward if you help to transfer a large amount of money?

The email or letter will often say that the money has come from bribes, government accounts or the unclaimed money from someone who has recently died.

The fraud works by asking you to hand over your bank details - and pay an 'advance fee' in order to complete the deal.

The fraud may call the advance fee a tax, or even a bribe. However, if you pay the advance fee, you will receive nothing in return - and there is no hope of having your money returned.