An impersonation scam is when you’re convinced to make a payment or give out your personal or financial details to a criminal claiming to be a trusted organisation or someone you know. This could be your bank, the police, HMRC, or even a friend or family member.
A lot of these scams can begin on through a phone call, text, email, or even on social media – and criminals use manipulation tactics to seem legitimate and gain your trust. They use many different tactics to obtain your money or information.
Criminals might:
- Use ‘spoofing’ to make numbers or emails look legitimate
- Pressure you into following their instructions
- Say that your bank account is at risk and you need to move your money to a ‘safe account’
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Mum/dad scam
Ahmed received a text on a new number claiming to be his son. The text said:
‘Hi Dad, I’ve lost my phone and can’t get on to my mobile banking I urgently need to pay a bill, is there any chance you can help?’
Ahmed, worried about his son, transferred the money over. Once he had transferred the money, he couldn’t get hold of him again and realised it was a scam.
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Transfer money to a ‘safe’ account
Roy received a call from someone claiming to be from his bank. They said his money was at risk of being compromised and that he needed to transfer it to a ‘safe account’ immediately. Roy immediately transferred the money to the safe account which actually belonged to the criminal.
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Problems with your internet connection
Leanne was contacted by her internet service provider where they informed her that her internet connection had been hacked. They asked if she could grant them remote access to her computer so they could sort out the problem for her. Once completed, they offered her £500 in compensation for the inconvenience. She gave over her bank details for the compensation but later found out that all the money in that account had been transferred to another account.
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Police impersonation
Damon received a phone call from the police. They were investigating fraud at his bank branch. He just needed to take some money out and that they would even meet him to collect the cash. They assured him the money would be transferred back once the investigation was complete. Once Damon made the withdrawal and handed it over to the officer, he never hear from them again.
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Outstanding HMRC tax bill
Sally received a call from a number claiming to be HMRC. An automated voice identifying itself as Officer Mark Wilson warned her of legal consequences, including arrest, if she didn’t call back. Shaken by the official-sounding message and departmental details, Sally assumed it was genuine. On calling back, she was told she owed £4,675 in taxes and was pressured to pay immediately to avoid a criminal record. In a panic, she shared her bank details, unaware she was being scammed.
