‘I’m a fraud expert at TSB – here’s 8 tips to stay safe’ | Personal Finance | Finance

The great British summer should be a time for holidays and – hopefully – enjoying warmer weather along with family and friends. But according to Richard Daniels, Director of Fraud at TSB, it is still wise to be on your guard against fraud. Mr Daniels urged Daily Express readers not to let scammers spoil their summer.

He told the Express: “While we all want to make the most of summer – with holidays, festivals and days out – it’s vital we keep our guard up to fraud, as opportunistic scammers are waiting to pounce. From holiday fraud, taxis and ticket scams – here are my top tips to stay safe. Don’t let a scammer ruin your summer.” 

Mr Daniels said: “In the worst cases, scammers will list vacancies at properties, hotels and holiday homes that simply don’t exist, meaning people can turn up at locations only to realise they’ve been scammed.

“It’s important to only book through official platforms – and recognised holiday websites. And do cross check with the hotel or property directly to ensure there really is a vacancy for your summer stay.”

Scammers also list discounted flight offers online for flights that don’t exist, according to Mr Daniels. He said they lure people in with the promise of a cheap deal.

The expert added: “Always check with a travel company directly and only ever deal with official airlines, or ABTA-recognised flight-booking websites: and again, contact a company directly to be certain.”

Mr Daniels said TSB is also seeing a spike in scam texts claiming to be from your bank’s fraud department, warning customers of payments to AirBnB, Booking.com and other holiday websites.

He explained: “Fraudsters hope to cause panic and get you to call them where they’ll try to steal your money. Instead, Dial 159- which connects you securely with your bank and which will confirm whether the text is a scam.

“We also expect to see a spike in fraudsters sending texts pretending to be holiday companies over summer – so stay vigilant and check with the company directly to confirm.”

Holidaymakers can be hit with sky-high unexpected fees when using taxis abroad, according to Mr Daniels.

He said: “I’d advise using official taxis, or recognised apps – and confirming a price beforehand where possible.

“Do also keep an eye on the metre to ensure the driver is not over-charging.

“When using your card to pay, do check on the machine that it’s the price you’ve agreed and expected – and don’t hand your card over, or let it leave your sight.”

Mr Daniels said: “The great British summer is always packed with festivals, events and activities. But sadly, fraudsters litter social media sites with fake listings for tickets that don’t exist – offering a last-minute chance to see your favourite act.

“We’re already seeing Oasis ticket scams – and this type of fraud can break your heart and your wallet. So don’t buy a ticket you’ve seen on social media unless you can verify it in person, and stick to the official ticketing sites.

“And always use a card – as you have more protection if something goes wrong.”

Mr Daniels said TSB regularly warns consumers to only buy an item from social media sites if they can view it in person.

He added: “And that’s definitely the case for summer – where holiday equipment, home improvement products, vehicles – and entertainment to keep the kids happy – are all commonly scammed items.”

The expert said it pays to stick to trusted second-hand platforms which offer direct payment platforms. He continued: “Don’t do a bank transfer.

“As always, if the price of an item is too good to be true, then it almost certainly is a scam.”

Mr Daniels said these are very topical at the moment and can catch out people looking for summer work.

He said: “These bogus money-making ‘opportunities’ claim you can make money by completing simple tasks, such as liking online content.

“The catch is you’ll have to upgrade your account after completing a few tasks and to do this, you’ll then have to pay a fee.

“Of course, any ‘earnings’ you make will never be released to you. No job should ever ask you to a pay a fee to work – so stay well clear of summer ‘work’ on social media sites.”

TSB’s Director of Fraud said that more widely, many people across the UK continue to fall victim to fraud on social media platforms.

Mr Daniels said: “So stay vigilant to fake profiles, bogus investment offers, and items that don’t exist. And when it comes to your phone, it pays to be suspicious of any out of the blue contact – be it texts or calls – claiming to be from a company or organisation: It could well be a scam.”