Fyi, Latest Bank Scam, Be Aware!

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/beatthescammers/article-4323924/Three-Santander-customers-lose-36k-smishing-scam.html
This was featured on Watchdog last night, I put it in news because most come here.

[cassa333]

This is why we don't have online or phone banking.

I like to go in and talk to someone.

Mind you it is becoming just a small automated inside the bank so given time....

[ummmm]

There have been programmes after programmes relating to bank scams. Banks don't text or email. Why is it not sinking in?

[Togo]

Was reading about this in Money Mail, a couple of weeks ago 3t. My first reaction was , this is someone on the inside at Santander providing info to the thieves. I have not changed that view. If I was with Santander I would be changing to an organisation that I could trust.

[albaqwerty]

jeez, folk are still falling for this?
It's been publicised widely enough I'd have thought.

I don't do online banking either.

Once had a flurry of emails telling me about unusual activity in my bank account, only thing was, I don't and have never had an account with that bank

[Togo]

Banks do text and email ummmm, these scammers made the text appear on a genuine Santander thread on their phones. That could only be done with inside knowledge.

[murraymints]

don't know what more banks can do..well aired that they never do this

[murraymints]

they NEVER ask for pins by text or mail or phone...

[albaqwerty]

Inside knowledge is a scary thought.
Hope the bank are looking into this with utmost vigour.

[ummmm]

Never had an email or text from our bank. Have had a phone call but they just asked us to make an appointment with our local branch.

[SlackAlice]

Unfortunately, many people are too gullible. Scams such as these are being used all the time. They've just updated the scam into text messaging from emails and 'phonecalls.

I have no intention of using smartphone banking of any description. I do use online banking on my desktop pc but not on my laptop and would definitely not use online banking anywhere else.

[ToraToraTora]

cassa: "I like to go in and talk to someone. " - it was talking to someone that caused this!

Ummm, Santander do text, and all banks send the OTP texts to authorise new payments but you should never have to tall it to a human.

alba, this one is a new twist, it's the text that does appear in the text chain with the genuine messages that induces confidence. Santander is particularly vulnerable to this apparently. In any case though never tell the OTP to a human.

[Togo]

We do everything online, gas, electric, water, council tax, phone bill, car insurance and tax, et. etc. Plus we run 3 bank accounts online. No more faffing about and 24 hr access, online statements and money transfers. You just have to have a good set up and use your loaf. The one thing we do not do is use our mobile phones for any of it. We do not download the offered phone apps. and never contact the organisations with a mobile. It is the weak link in your system.

[murraymints]

ditto Togo.. I am with Barclays and there is now only one branch in Princes Street Edinburgh, which is a kerfuffle to get to...

[albaqwerty]

the younger Alba was wanting to change his bank account to Santander.
Asked him why, he said they give you £100 to join them, suggested he didn't change as the only branch is quite a distance away and his current Bank a stone's throw.
He stuck with the local one and will no doubt be glad about it when I tell him this about Santander !

[Togo]

With Alice all the way.( made me think of that daft tune" Who the ****is Alice) :)) (^_*)

[murraymints]

for 24 years I've been living next door to Alice..today's ear worm !!

[albaqwerty]

oh Togo!! I watched that a while back, would someone please pass me a packet of Tena (again!)

[hc4361]

I'm with Santander and regularly get texts from them as part of their 2 factor security - when I am making a large transaction from my account I get sent a passcode by text that I have to enter on my bank website for the transaction to continue.
I also get notified by text when a large payment is made from my account by any means, even a card payment.

The text is always in response to something I have done online and if I were to get an unexpected text I would log in to my bank account in the usual way - not via a link in a text.

I don't think it's an insider - my wife has had a text apparently from Santander and she doesn't have an account with them.

[hc4361]

Gloria Hunniford had her account wiped out by some fraudster going in to the branch and claiming to be her

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3748559/Rip-Britain-presenter-Gloria-Hunniford-scammed-lookalike-turns-bank-drains-account-120-000.html

[sp1814]

TTT

Well done for posting this. Whilst a lot of people know about scams, this variant needs to be publicised.

I just want to clarify something here (I used to work for a bank, and now work in IT, so I have some knowledge).

Some people may think that there has to be someone on the inside for this to work.

That's not the case.

If you've ever had a text from your bank, the spoof text will look like it's from them, because it comes from the same number.

This is different from a phishing email, because with those you can tell it's not really from your bank, because whilst the mail might look like it comes from [email protected], when you hover over the mail address, you will see it really comes from [email protected].

That's the big difference here...the fake text will genuinely look like it comes from your bank.

The answer is ALWAYS this - if you are contacted by your bank or building society via text or email, call them (from another phone) using the number printed on the back of your debit or credit card. That way you will be able to verify whether it was genuinely from them.

And never ever ever ever ever give out your full online banking PIN.

And absolutely never give out your ATM PIN.