As the nights grow darker and the pumpkins glow brighter, Halloween brings its usual mix of spooky fun – ghosts, ghouls, and goblins galore. But there’s one fright that doesn’t vanish with daylight: fraud. And unlike the vampire on your doorstep, it doesn’t need an invitation to enter your life.

This October, while you’re dodging jump scares and sugar crashes, make sure you’re also dodging scams – and keep your eyes peeled for fraudsters in disguise.

Criminals use all sorts of tactics to get your money and information. Here are a couple of examples to look out for:

• Job scams: Using fake job offers, criminals will try to trick you into paying upfront fees or sharing personal information. They often use impersonate real companies and real people and create a sense of urgency. Always consider the possibility of a scam and never pay to apply.
• Investment scams: These scams promise high returns from stocks, crypto or foreign exchange but often lead to financial loss. Be wary of approaches of social media, look out for pressure tactics, do your research and use the FCA’s ScamSmart Investment Checker before investing.
• Purchase scams: Fraudsters advertise fake or non-existent products online and offer too-good-to-be-true deals to lure you in. They might use fake websites to capture your money or information, or use online marketplaces. Always double-check the web address of the site you’re on, do your research on the seller and avoid paying by bank transfer.
• Phishing and smishing: Scammers send links in emails or texts pretending to be banks or trusted companies, which take you to malicious websites to steal your information or gain access to your accounts. Avoid clicking on links from texts or emails – visit trusted websites by typing them directly into your browser.

In just the first half of this year, there were over 2 million cases of fraud and over £600 million stolen by fraudsters. But behind every statistic is a person – someone cheated out of their savings, convinced to put their money behind a fake investment or tricked into clicking through from social media to a malicious website.

These aren’t ghost stories. They’re real. But you can take steps to protect yourself.

Fraudsters want you to gain your trust and put you in a ‘hot state’ – feeling an urgency or panic to do something you normally wouldn’t. But whether it’s by phone, message or email, you can hit pause and take a moment to:

✋ Stop: Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information. It could keep you safe.

☝️ Challenge: Ask yourself, could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

👊 Protect: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve been scammed and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.