Scam alert: Inheritance impersonation scam
Inheritance impersonation scam
A tactic that is being more commonly adopted by fraudsters is impersonation. This is where someone pretends to be from a genuine organisation in an attempt to gain access to bank accounts or personal information.
We have recently been made aware of a scammer impersonating Weatherbys staff members trying to extort money out of their recipients. Emails, sent from a non-Weatherbys account, are being sent to people asking them to get involved with an inheritance scam. These of course have nothing to do with our colleagues, but unfortunately their details have been found and used in this unsolicited manner.
In almost all cases the people being targeted are in America. Please do not respond. Keep your money and your information to yourself. Never send money or information to a stranger who promises big rewards. That is always a scam.
If you receive any correspondence from someone claiming to be from Weatherbys that you believe is suspicious, please send it to fraud@wetherbys.bank, who will review it and let you know if it is genuine.
We will never ask you to transfer money or contact you out of the blue to ask you to confirm your PIN, online banking password, personal account details or One-Time-Passcode.
How to avoid falling for these scams
- Stop: Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or personal information
- Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. If you are suspicious, hang up and contact the person or company via a phone number you trust and have sourced yourself.
If you think you have fallen for a scam, contact us immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.