Fraudsters call out of the blue claiming that a fraud has already happened, or is imminent. They may have some information about you, and pose as bank staff, the police and other officials in a position of trust. They will then try to persuade you to:
- Transfer money to another account for "safekeeping" or "holding"
- Withdraw cash and hand it over "for investigation"
- Divulge private information, which they can use to gain access to your finances
In many cases, they will suggest you hang up the phone and call them back on another number. But, it is easy for them to keep the connection open and intercept the call, so all the information you think you're giving to your bank is actually going to them.
It's important to remember:
- Be wary of unsolicited phone calls, especially if you are asked to provide personal information
- If you are suspicious or feel vulnerable, end the call and refuse requests for information
- The display on your called ID could be falsified through "call spoofing" to show as a genuine bank number
- HSBC will never call you to ask you to generate a Secure Key code or ask for your PIN number
- Never share your security details with anyone else
- Criminals already may have some basic information about you (name, address, account details) but you should not assume that a caller is genuine because of this