Stay safe this festive season

The 12 scams of Christmas

Here are 12 scams to be mindful of:

1. Impersonation calls – Calls claiming to be from your bank, HMRC, the police or delivery firms asking for sensitive details or urging you to pay outstanding payments or move money to a ‘safe account’.
2. Gift card requests – Scammers asking you to buy gift cards and share the codes, often posing as a friend, relative or colleague.
3. Suspiciously low prices – Websites offering goods at prices far below competitors may be fake. These often appear as ‘flash sales’ or ‘limited time offers’ on luxury items. You pay, but the item never arrives — and your details may be stolen.
4. Fake websites – Scammers cloning genuine retailer sites or creating fake brands to trick you into paying for goods that don’t exist.
5. Parcel delivery scams – Texts or emails claiming a parcel is waiting and asking you to click on a link or pay a fee to release it.
6. Social media giveaways & fake accounts – Fraudsters using fake profiles or influencer accounts to promote competitions or surveys that harvest your personal details.
7. QR code fraud – Fraudsters replacing genuine QR codes — often in car parks or payment points — with fake ones that steal your money.
8. Fake charities – Convincing charity websites or social media appeals asking for donations to causes that don’t exist.
9. Tickets & holidays – Bogus ticket sellers and cloned travel sites offering deals on festive events or holidays that turn out to be fake.
10. Romance scams – Fraudsters building trust online, then requesting money for emergencies or travel during the festive season.
11. Pets for sale – Ads for pedigree pets at bargain prices often leading to upfront payments for animals that never arrive.
12. ‘Mum/Dad’ messages – WhatsApp or text messages pretending to be from your child or relative saying their phone is broken and asking you to send money urgently.

How to keep yourself safe this Christmas

Scams can feel overwhelming, but these simple steps will help keep you safe:

• Shop on trusted sites – A padlock icon and ‘https://’ mean the site is encrypted — but that doesn’t guarantee it’s safe. Scammers can still create secure-looking fake sites, so always check the full URL and look for signs it might be cloned.

• If it looks too good to be true, it probably is – Huge discounts can be a red flag. Check reviews and don’t rush into impulse buys.

• Use secure payment methods – Be cautious if asked to pay via bank transfer, cryptocurrency or to a personal account. These are common tactics used by fraudsters.

• Keep passwords strong and unique – Use different, complex passwords for each account and store them securely.

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) – Adds an extra layer of security by requiring a code to be sent to your phone or email.

• Stay alert – Be cautious of unexpected emails, texts or calls. Never click suspicious links or share sensitive details. Banks and legitimate companies will never pressure you or ask for passwords.

• Update your devices – Install updates to keep security features current.

• Check your statements regularly – Report any unknown or suspicious transactions immediately.

• Verify delivery updates – Log in to the courier’s official site instead of clicking links in messages.

• Don’t be rushed – Scammers use urgency to pressure you. If something feels wrong, stop and contact the organisation using official details.

• Watch for poor spelling or odd email addresses – Errors and generic email accounts (e.g. Gmail) can signal a scam.

Important reminder

Fraudsters often follow up with convincing calls, sometimes claiming to be from Weatherbys, and may reference earlier scams to build trust. These calls can sound genuine — but they are designed to trick you into giving away sensitive details.
Weatherbys will never ask you for:

• One-time passcodes (OTPs) – These codes protect your accounts. Never share them with anyone, even if the caller claims to be from Weatherbys.
• Your online banking password
• Full card details

Weatherbys will also never ask you to move money to a ‘safe account’.

If you are ever unsure of the legitimacy of any link, website, company, advert, email or text you come across, please feel free to ask us to take a look by sending it to fraud@weatherbys.bank, or by asking your relationship manager to forward it to us.

In addition, if you think you have been a victim of any type of scam, please speak to your private banking team or relationship manager in the first instance. You can also contact the Private Bank on +44 (0) 1933 543 600 or the Racing Bank on +44 (0) 1933 543 543.