Police, banks say scams are on the rise
Think before you share: Fraudsters are fleecing islanders at an alarming rate File photo
A spike in fraud has seen residents duped to the tune of $1.2m … this week alone.
This startling figure was released by police today, with The Financial Crime Unit citing a “troubling rise” in fraudulent activity targeting both local businesses and members of the public — particularly customers of the banks.
Scammers impersonating agents from the Fraud Department of local banks are contacting customers and falsely claiming fraudulent activity on their accounts.
Login credentials are then requested to “resolve” the issue. Police say once the fraudsters gain access to the accounts, they quickly transfer funds to overseas locations.
Echoing the concerns of police, HSBC Bermuda today issued its own warning about a spike in fraud.
HSBC stated that the scammers’ ultimate objective is to remotely take control of your computer to authorise fraudulent transactions.
A bank spokesman stated, quote: “HSBC will never ask you to disclose your PIN, security code or one-time password.”
HSBC has extensive scam warnings on its website.
Meanwhile, police are urging residents to be extra vigilant as we enter the holiday season, when cases of fraud typically rise.
The bottom line from police and the banks: If you are uncertain about the legitimacy of a call, hang up and contact your bank directly.
And if you receive an email claiming to be from your bank, check the email header to see if it matches the details of legitimate emails you’ve received from your bank before.
