If you've just been scammed by someone that you thought was your bank, here's who you should call
Fraudsters are getting more and more slick online, tricking people into giving away personal banking details through email, over the phone and even through text.
If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, it’s best to act as quickly as possible. To save you some time we’ve gathered the appropriate contact numbers of banks and building societies across the UK, with opening hours where supplied.
Some have email addresses that you can forward the fraudulent email on to if you haven’t responded to it. But if you have, call one of the numbers below as soon as possible.
Banks
American Express
Phone: 0800 917 8047/+44 1273 696 933 (open 24 hours)
ukemailfraud@americanexpress.com
Aqua
Phone: 0845 601 0436
Bank of Scotland
Phone: 0345 602 0000/+44 113 279 8302 (open 24 hours)
security@bankofscotland.co.uk
Barclaycard
Phone: 0800 151 0900/+44 1604 230 230 (open 24 hours)
Textphone: 18001 0800 161 5276
Clydesdale
Phone: 0800 345 7 364/+44 141 951 7320
reportphishing-cb@cbonline.co.uk
Co-operative Bank
Current account customers phone: 03457 212 212
Credit card customers phone: 0345 600 6000
ihaveseenascam@co-operativebank.co.uk
First Direct
Phone: 03 456 100 100 /+44 113 234 5678
Textphone: 03 456 100 147/+44 151 494 1260
Halifax
Phone: 0345 602 0000/+44 113 279 8302
security@halifax.co.uk
Lloyds
Phone: 0345 300 0116/+44 20 7649 9437
Textphone: 0345 300 2280/+44 1733 347 515
(7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat-Sun)
emailscams@lloydsbanking.com
MBNA
Phone: 0800 062 062
Metro bank
Phone: 0345 08 08 500/+44 203 402 8312
Nationwide
Phone: 0800 464 3051
phishing@nationwide.co.uk
NatWest
Unusual transactions phone: 0800 161 5149 (Mon-Fri 8am to 10pm, Saturday 8am-6pm and Sunday 9am-5pm)
Out of hours phone: 0370 600 0459/+44 125 230 8047
Credit card fraud phone: 0800 161 5153/+44 126 850 8020 (both 24 hours a day)
Phishing phone: 0800 161 5154
phishing@natwest.com
Post Office
Phone: 0845 266 8977/+44 117 300 6876
RBS
Phone: 0800 161 5154/+44 126 850 8020 (open 24 hours)
phishing@rbs.co.uk
Saga
Phone: 0800 111 4935
(8am-8pm, seven days a week)
Sainsbury’s Bank
Phone: 08085 40 50 60
(Mon-Fri 8am-12am and 8am-6pm on weekends)
onlineinvestigations@sainsburysbank.co.uk
Santander
Phone: 0800 917 9170
(7am-11pm Mon to Sat and 9am-9pm Sundays)
phishing@santander.co.uk
Tesco Bank
Phone: 0845 300 3511 (open 24 hours)
phishing@tescobank.com
TSB
Phone: 0345 835 3844
Textphone: 0345 835 3840
emailscams@tsb.co.uk
Vanquis
Call: 0800 783 9003/+44 161 444 4495 (open 24 hours)
Virgin
Phone: 0845 607 6991
(8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm on Saturdays and 10am-3pm on Sundays)
report.phishing@virginmoney.com
Building societies
Beverley Building Society
Phone: 01482 881510
Buckinghamshire Building Society
Phone: 01494 879500
Cambridge Building Society
Phone: 0345 601 3344
(8:30am-8:30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Saturday)
phishing@cambridgebs.co.uk
Chelsea Building Society
Phone: 0845 850 4041
phishing@emis.ybs.co.uk
Chorley and District Building Society
Phone: 01257 235000
Coventry Building Society
Phone: 0800 121 8899
suspiciousemail@thecoventry.co.uk
Cumberland Building Society
Phone: 0845 601 8396
Darlington Building Society
Phone: 01325 366366
Dudley Building Society
Phone: 01384 231414
Earl Shilton Building Society
Phone: 01455 844422
Ecology Building Society
Phone: 01535 650 770
(9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
Furness Building Society
Phone: 0800 542 5411
Hanley Economic Building Society
Phone: 01782 255000
Harpenden Building Society
Phone: 01582 765411
Hinckley and Rugby Building Society
Phone: 0800 434 6343
Holmesdale Building Society
Phone: 01737 232320
Ipswich Building Society
Phone: 0330 123 0723
Kent Reliance Building Society
Phone: 0845 120 3223
Leeds Building Society
Phone: 0113 225 7777
phishing@leedsbuildingsociety.co.uk
Leek United Building Society
Phone: 0800 783 0847
Loughborough Building Society
Phone: 01509 610 707
Manchester Building Society
Phone: 0161 923 8950
Mansfield Building Society
Phone: 01623 676350
Market Harborough Building Society
Phone: 01858 412250
Marsden Building Society
Phone: 01282 440 500
Melton Mowbray Building Society
Phone: 01664 414141
(9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12pm Saturday)
Monmouthshire Building Society
Phone: 01633 844 345
(9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
National Counties Building Society
Phone: 01372 747771
Newbury Building Society
Phone: 0800 988 4857
(9am-5pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 9:30am-5pm Weds)
Newcastle Building Society
Phone: 0845 600 4370
Norwich and Peterborough Building Society
Phone: 0845 300 2511 (01733 371 374 out of hours)
Nottingham Building Society
Phone: 0344 481 4444
(8am-7pm Mon-Thurs, 8am-6pm Friday, 9am-12:30pm Sunday)
Penrith Building Society
Phone: 01768 863675
Principality Building Society
Phone: 0330 333 4000
(8am-8pm weekdays, 9am-1pm Saturday)
phishing@principality.co.uk
Progressive Building Society
Phone: Contact your local branch
Saffron Building Society
Phone: 0800 072 1100
(9am-5pm Mon-Fri and 9am-1pm Saturday)
Scottish Building Society
Phone: Contact your local branch
Skipton Building Society
Phone: 0345 850 1700
Stafford Railway Building Society
Phone: 01785 223212
Swansea Building Society
Phone: 01792 483700
Teachers Building Society
Phone:0800 783 2367
Tipton and Coseley Building Society
Phone: 0121 557 2551
West Bromwich Building Society
Phone: 0845 33 00 633
Yorkshire Building Society
Phone: 0845 1200 805
phishing@emis.ybs.co.uk
Other useful websites
Get safe online
Get Safe Online is your comprehensive guide to protecting yourself, your computers and your mobile devices online. You can find information on fraud, identity theft, viruses and other problems you experience when you’re on the web.
Action Fraud
Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and internet crime. If you’ve been scammed, defrauded or experienced cyber crime, get in touch.
Financial Fraud Action UK
As its name suggests, FFA UK is a little more specific. It targets credit and debit card fraud as well as cheque and credit clearing issues.
British Bankers’ Association
The BBA’s ‘Know Fraud, No Fraud’ guide tells you what you should be looking out for when you receive suspicious communication from your bank as well as details of common banking scams.
Quick tips
When it comes to keeping yourself safe from fraud, there are a couple of things to remember. Keep all of your details, particularly your address and your phone number, up to date. This means that your bank can notify you if it finds anything suspicious on your account.
If you receive an email that purports to be from your bank and it doesn't address you by name, has suspicious looking links, or poor spelling and grammar, it's probably a scam. Don't respond to it - either delete it or send it along to your bank for investigation.
And remember that email is not a secure method of communication. If you need to contact your bank, call on a number you trust or use a secure messaging system.
Find out more in How to avoid scams and rip-offs and Identity theft: what to do if you’re a victim of ID fraud.
Credit checks
If you think you have been a victim of fraud, it’s worth checking your credit report to see if it's been affected.
Check out where you can see your credit report for free with loveMONEY
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