iSpoof impersonation scam

Impersonation fraud is unfortunately happening more and more, with opportunistic fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated techniques to scam unexpecting people out of their hard earned money.

Recently a website called iSpoof was taken down and 100 people were arrested in the UK’s biggest ever fraud operation. The website was used by fraudsters to make phone calls using spoofed phone numbers so it looked like they were genuine calls from the recipient’s bank.

Whilst this website is no longer in operation, the unfortunate reality is that these criminals will find other ways to try and access the bank accounts of unsuspecting individuals.

We wanted to reiterate that Weatherbys will never ask you to transfer money to a safe account or contact you out of the blue to ask you to confirm your PIN, online banking password, personal account details or One-Time-Passcode.

If you think you have been contacted by someone pretending to represent Weatherbys Bank, hang up and contact your Private Banking team who will be able to confirm if the call that you have received is genuine.

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 is okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. If you are suspicious hang up.

If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or identity theft, you should report this directly to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

If you think you may have handed over your bank details to scammers, please contact us immediately.