One in five have shared personal information with financial scammers – Nationwide
The research found consumers received suspicious phone calls more than three times a week on average, alongside suspicious text messages around twice a week.
One in five (15%) consumers have provided personal information to someone before realising they were not genuine, according to research from Nationwide.
The research found consumers received suspicious phone calls more than three times a week on average, alongside suspicious text messages around twice a week.
Nearly one in five (19%) said they would be likely to call back an unknown number.
When asked what would make them trust an unexpected caller claiming to be from their banking provider, 20% said seeing their provider’s name displayed on their phone.
A further 19% would be reassured if the caller knew details of recent account activity, while 14% cited knowledge of their full name and 13% their date of birth.
Some 12% said they would trust a number that appeared genuine, while 10% could be reassured by a caller sounding professional.
Over the past 12 months, 26% of consumers received a text claiming to be from their banking provider, while 25% received an email and 22% received a phone call.
Nationwide data showed the average loss to impersonation scams was nearly £2,200.
The research also found 26% of consumers only sometimes or rarely checked a number before responding to a text or call, while 7% never did so.
Some 14% were not confident they knew how to identify a scammer impersonating their bank.
Annya Burskys, head of fraud operations at Nationwide, said: “Scammers are increasingly sophisticated at making unexpected calls, texts and emails appear genuine.
“They may disguise a call as coming from a trusted organisation, use personal details to gain your trust or pressure you to act quickly.
“Many scams are connected. Criminals may first obtain information about you through a fraudulent website, phishing email or text message. They can then use those details to make future impersonation scams appear much more convincing.
“They may also tell you what to say if your banking provider questions a payment, claiming it will speed things up. In reality, the more your banking provider knows, the better it can support and protect you.”
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