Scams to watch out for
Important: Never share your one-time passcode with anyone, even if they say they’re from Vanquis.
Social engineering
This is where a criminal persuades you to give them your personal or financial details by pretending to be from a company or person you may know.
Criminals may contact you by email (phishing), text message (smishing) or phone call (vishing), and can even replicate genuine phone numbers or email addresses to appear legitimate. That’s why it’s important you find a trusted contact number or email address before responding.
Here are some of things you can do to protect yourself:
- If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Take the time to stop and think about a request.
- Avoid opening emails or attachments and clicking on links in messages you weren’t expecting - whether by email, text or social media (including WhatsApp).
- Vanquis will never ask you to click on a link to verify a transaction. We’ll only ask you to reply with a ‘Y’ or ‘N’.
- If you're unsure about something, call the company using the number on their website or the back of your card. Criminals may use scam ads on search engines and social media with fake phone numbers.
- Never share a one-time passcode with anyone over the phone (including by typing it into the keypad), by text message or by email. Doing this could let someone access your account, spend on it or change your details.
- Be wary of messages that ask you to pay a fee as you’ve won a competition prize or need to rearrange a delivery. They’re most likely a scam.
If you’ve received a suspicious email or text claiming to be from Vanquis and you’ve shared personal or financial information, please contact our Customer Service Team as soon as you can.
They’ll take steps to help secure your account. Visit our contact us page to find out how to get in touch.
Suspicious texts can be reported for free to 7726. This reports the message to your mobile phone provider.
A suspicious email can be forwarded and reported to [email protected]. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will then investigate it.
Impersonation scams
With these, a criminal convinces you to provide personal or financial details by claiming to be a person or organisation you trust. This could include the police, your bank, a utility company, a government department or even a friend or family member.
They may say there’s been fraudulent activity on your account, you owe money or they’re in trouble and need financial help from you.
To protect yourself:
- Never share your PIN or one-time passcode with anyone
- Remember that a reputable company wouldn’t threaten you or put you under pressure to get your card details
- Never buy gift vouchers for someone you don’t know, or if you’re unsure why someone you know is asking you to
Purchase scams
Criminals persuade consumers to pay for goods and services that don’t exist. These are often advertised on fake websites, auction sites or social media with images taken from genuine sellers. They do this to convince you they’re the real deal.
To protect yourself:
- Research the company and read reviews before making a purchase.
- Never share your one-time passcode with anyone.
- Be cautious of adverts on social media as they may not always be real.
- When making a payment to an online retailer or auction site, make sure you use a secure method like a credit card or PayPal. Don't pay for online bills with vouchers.
- Make sure you’re using the genuine company’s website and not a cloned one. The Get Safe Online website tool can help you with this.
Just so you know, you can report a suspicious website to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Delivery scams
This is when a criminal contacts you to say they’ve tried to deliver a parcel but no one was in. They’ll then provide a link for you to rearrange the delivery – usually for a small fee – to try and get your personal and card information.
Relationship scams
This is where criminals create fake profiles on social media or dating sites and use them to try and build a personal (friendly or romantic) relationship with you. They gain your trust and then appeal to your compassionate side to ask for money, or for you to move money for them.
To protect yourself:
- Don’t send money to someone you haven’t met. The same goes for sharing bank account details and personal documents (like your driving licence or passport).
- Be suspicious if someone asks you to keep your relationship a secret. They may be trying to isolate you and stop you talking to family or friends.
- Never invest your money on their behalf or based on their advice.
- Don’t buy gift cards and then share the details with them.
- Use reverse image searches on Google to check their profile picture. This will show you if the picture is on someone else’s profile.
Digital wallet scams
Criminals are adding victims’ card details to digital wallets in order to buy goods online. They do this by pretending to be a genuine organisation to get the card details and then persuading the victim to share their one-time passcode. They usually say it’s to stop a fraudulent transaction, when in fact it’s so they can add the card to a digital wallet.
Remote access scams
A criminal may try to get access to your device by asking you to download a screen share, remote access software or apps. This then allows them to view the contents of your device as you use it, including being able to see banking app information and passwords.
To protect yourself:
- Never give a caller remote access to your computer or mobile phone.
- Never provide your personal details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number is from a trusted source. For example, the number is listed on the company’s website.
- Make sure you have updated antivirus software and a good firewall.
Holiday scams
This could include everything from fake holiday or caravan adverts to false refunds and ‘too good to be true’ offers.
To protect yourself:
- Check reviews and search for the property on different websites so you’re sure it exists.
- Before you go abroad, make sure your contact details are up to date with your bank as they may need you to confirm a transaction is genuine.
- Regularly check your statements for unusual transactions.
- See if there are extra protections, like ABTA or ATOL.
- Use a safe way to pay - like a credit or debit card.
Investment scams
This is when a criminal persuades you to make an investment for something that’s worthless or doesn’t exist. Here’s a list of the different types of investment scams:
Binary: This is a form of fixed-odds betting where criminals offer high returns.
Advance Fee Fraud: This scam involves being told you have won a lottery you didn’t enter or you’re due an unexpected inheritance. They’ll usually ask for a fee upfront for administration costs. Genuine lotteries won’t ask for a fee to release your winnings.
Cryptocurrency: This is a digital currency that uses cryptography to generate ‘tokens’ and verify the transfer of these tokens between people. Criminals try to lure you in with adverts offering quick, easy money. This is because they want your money or personal info.
Before you make any investments, you should:
- Visit the FCA ScamSmart site.
- Check the company on the FCA Register.
- Check the FCA list of unauthorised businesses.
- Be cautious of anyone approaching you with exclusive investment opportunities. If you’re being pressurised to act quickly, this could be a scam.
- Avoid relying on personal testimonials or celebrity endorsements as they could be fake.
To learn about more scams, take a look at: