Could you spot a scam?
We all like to think we’re pretty clued up when it comes to spotting a scam. But with the scammers becoming increasingly sophisticated, we need to be more vigilant than ever.
We thought we’d share the details of a scam that one of our clients nearly fell prey to – and we’re not surprised as it was quite convincing. With our experience though, we could see that it didn’t all stack up.
A sophisticated con or just a coincidence?
One of our clients – let’s call him Bob – set up a savings account with a well-known financial services provider. About a month later, he had a call purporting to be from the same company, offering a very attractive investment opportunity. Whether the provider’s account had been hacked to get Bob’s details, or the call was just a coincidence, it’s hard to tell. But it all sounded legitimate.
Bob was told about a special account, giving a return of 2.4%. With most savings accounts only offering around 1%, this seemed worth following up, so he asked for more details to be emailed through.
What followed was a branded email outlining the offer, including links to the supposed provider’s website and even including an attached fact sheet, giving details of this new, high-interest saver account. As a Fortitude client, Bob forwarded everything to his financial planner Chris, and asked what he thought.
Fortitude’s forensic investigation
On first viewing, the email seemed legitimate. It looked professional enough and included the provider's logo as well as giving links straight to their website. And don’t forget, the company had called Bob. Surely it had to be genuine if they even had his phone number? But, as Chris looked more closely, he spotted a few things that didn’t quite add up:
Where amounts of money were mentioned, they were written as £20.000 with a stop in the middle, rather than £20,000 with a comma.
When Chris checked the email signature and reply address, something didn’t quite add up.
Some of the wording in the attached factsheet referred to a ‘with-profits’ fund. That didn’t make sense in terms of talking about a savings account. But you wouldn’t necessarily know that unless you were familiar with wealth management terms.
Many of the abbreviations and terms used in the text were not in line with current FCA guidelines for communications to be clear, fair and not misleading – something that a leading provider would get right.
Chris told Bob the email looked dodgy and pointed out all the reasons he was suspicious.
Incredibly, a few days later the scammer called to follow up the email – and Bob told him he believed it was all a malicious scam to get access to his hard-earned money. The scammer issued an expletive and immediately hung up. All the proof you could need that our instinct was right!
How to beat the blaggers
So, what can you do to keep your money safe from the tactics of cybercriminals? Some of the scams really are quite clever, so you do need to keep your wits about you.
To help, here are our five top tips to ensure you don’t get taken for what could be a very expensive ride:
Be cautious. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Ask questions.
See if there are any errors or spelling mistakes in the email or information you receive.
Check if the contact details look right for a corporate organisation.
Call the provider on a number you know is correct (not the one included in the email) and check if the information is genuine.
Of course, if you’re a Fortitude client, all you have to do is send us anything that looks suspicious. We’ll be happy to take a look and let you know if it’s the real deal or a real swizz.
If you’d like to talk to us about how to protect yourself from cybercriminals, or about any other aspect of looking after your wealth, just give us a call.