Holiday cover for your business
Criminals don’t take time off, are your staff fraud aware?
So that you can relax and enjoy the festivities, make sure your staff know how to protect your business from fraud and scams. Share our top tips:
- Contact numbers, messages and emails can be spoofed, don’t trust the contact ID. Never use a number that’s given to you by the caller. To confirm contact from Santander use a number from our website.
- Confirm new or changed payment details over the phone or in person. Emails and messages can be intercepted or hacked. Use a number you know to be genuine when calling to confirm payment details.
- We’ll never call you and ask you to click on a link, download an app or open an attachment.
- Don’t share any passwords, login details or OTPs with anyone. Not even with a Santander employee. We never ask you to use them to authorise a refund.
- Don’t allow anyone to remotely access your computers or devices during or after a cold call.
Take a look at our Spotting Fraud & Scams page. This has more information and tips to protect you and your business.
Fraud can happen to any business. At Santander, we're committed to helping you protect yours. Our Head of Fraud and Risk Management, Chris Ainsley, shares his tips on how to stay safe and what to look out for.
Impersonation scams
Through impersonation scams, fraudsters might try to convince you to send money to them by pretending to be from a trusted source such as your bank, or even the police. Take a look at the video below to learn about how to spot the signs.
Fraud prevention culture by Santander
Learn what we're doing to combat fraud and how we're protecting your business with our controls.
Fraud prevention culture - what you can do
Practical advice on how you can stay safe.
Spoofing
Fraudsters use spoofing to gain trust by targeting businesses over the phone and posing as bank staff, police officers or other officials or companies in a position of trust.
Social engineering
Learn how to spot when fraudsters are trying to trick you into doing something you wouldn't normally do.
Summary advice
Head of Fraud and Risk Management at Santander, Chris Ainsley, shares his tips on how to stay safe and what to look out for.
Payment redirection
Fraudsters intercept genuine payment requests that contain an invoice or bill, asking you to pay a new account number. Here's what to look out for.
Protecting your business with fraud controls
Practical advice on how you can use fraud controls to protect your business.
Do you know who you're really talking to?
Criminals trick people and businesses by pretending to be someone you know or trust.
See our tips on how to spot an impersonation scam below.
- Criminals will create a sense of urgency so you can’t think straight.
- They’ll say you’ve been a victim of attempted fraud or have an overpayment that needs to be returned.
- You’ll be urged to move your money to a ‘safe’ or newly opened account to protect your money.
- They’ll ask you to amend existing payment details or set up a new payment.
- Criminals can ‘spoof’ telephone numbers, email addresses and text messages so they look like they're coming from a known, trusted source. They use this to try and prove they’re from the genuine organisation. Always be careful and double-check a request is genuine. Don’t ever rely on caller ID alone. Always take time to think about what you're being asked to do, and if you’re not sure or feel uncomfortable, stop.
At Santander, we’ll never get in touch and ask you to tell us your One Time Passcode (OTP) or ask you to take urgent action. If you get a call like this, hang up, wait five minutes and call us back using the number on the back of your card.
Criminals send fake invoices to trick you into making payments to their accounts. We want to help you protect your business.
Find out what typically happens with an invoice scam below.
- The criminal pretends to be a supplier, business contact or colleague.
- They’ll send a fake invoice by email, fax or post.
- They’ll ask you to make a new payment or change the account details of an existing payee.
- Your money is sent to the criminal’s account.
- You’ll only know it was fraud when you speak to the genuine contact.
- By this time, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get your money back.
Protect your business
Always confirm new payment requests or to change bank details. Do this in person or use a publicly available or trusted number. Never use the number given in the invoice or email.
Criminals ‘spoof’ telephone numbers. This makes it look like they're calling from a known, trusted source.
Always take time to think about what you're being asked to do. If you’re not sure or feel uneasy, stop.
Criminals want your business to pay upfront for something before you have even received the goods or service. These scams often start on social media or with an email. It might even be a letter sent by the criminal to try and make the scam look believable.
Examples of this could be:
- Paying an ‘admin fee’ to release funds from a business loan
- Paying a deposit for a new business premise which doesn’t exist. Or this could be office space or storage
- Paying a fee to release money in an investment
- Paying a ‘recovery fee’ to get back money lost in a previous scam. If you have been a previous victim of a scam, you can be targeted.
Keeping your business safe
Don’t pay money upfront for anything unless you are certain it is genuine and have taken steps to check it.
If you have any doubts, stop and take some time to think it through. Don’t ever feel pressured into paying quickly for anything.