Reporting fraud or scams
If you think you've been targeted by fraud or a scam, check the details below about unrecognised transactions. We've included details of when we would really contact you. If you're still concerned, call us straight away so we can protect your account.
You can call our fraud team anytime on 0330 123 9860 or 0800 011 3414 (freephone). If you're calling from outside the UK +44 1908 237 968.
A transaction on your account that you don't recognise could be fraud. Or a retailer that uses a different business name. Be certain by following these steps.
1 - Check the business name
Some businesses may use a different name for billing to the one you recognise. You can search for the name appearing on your transaction to see if it's something you have purchased.
2 - Check for ongoing subscriptions
Many online services use subscription plans. They automatically bill you after an initial free or discounted period expires. Check any services where you've previously subscribed but haven't cancelled.
For example - Amazon charges an annual fee for their Amazon Prime service. This is automatically taken each year unless you cancel. If you see an unrecognised transaction from a retailer you know, check with them before contacting our fraud team.
3 - Call us
If you're still unsure about a transaction, call us and our team will investigate. Call 0330 123 9860 or Freephone 0800 011 3414 or if you're calling from outside the UK +44 1908 237 968. Our fraud team is here 24 hours a day.
If you think a phone call, text message or email is suspicious don't take a chance. Call us immediately on 0330 123 9860 or freephone 0800 011 3414.
Spotting a suspicious call
No-one from Santander, even our fraud team, will ask you to give them your PIN or OTP (One Time Passcode). If someone asks you for them on the phone, it will be fraud. Hang up and call our team on the number above, or the one on the back of your card.
Telephone scammers often pretend to be your bank, the police or another trusted organisations. They may give you fake details such as a force ID number and ask you to help with a fraud case. Or tell you that there's been fraudulent activity on your account. A genuine bank (or organisation) will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or OTP number.
Please be cautious if anyone asks for remote access to your device. If you're asked to download software to view your screen, be aware this enables them to see everything. You should never log on to Online Banking or any other sensitive site when this software is running.
Spotting a suspicious text message
Any text message which asks you to update your banking details or log on to your account will be fake. The text message may even appear in a thread of previous genuine messages from Santander, such as previously sent OTP numbers. This is easily faked and isn't proof that it's from us.
A genuine bank (or organisation) will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or OTP number. If a text message or call asks you to do this, it will be fraud.
Spotting a suspicious email
Email scams can be very convincing and look genuine. Here are some signs to spot a fraudulent email:
- The email is impersonal and addresses you by either 'Dear Sir/Madam' or uses your email address, for example, 'Dear yourname@address.com'.
- The sender's email address doesn't match the website address or organisation name it says it's from.
- They ask you to click a link to update your personal information.
- They tell you something is urgent and needs your immediate attention.
Don't click a link in an email requesting your details. If you're even slightly unsure, phone the company using a number on their main website and tell them you've received a suspicious email.
You can read more about scams and how to spot them on our Spotting fraud or scams page or visit the Take Five website.
There are times we may contact you to check a transaction is genuine. We use an automated service so we can reach you as quickly as possible for any potentially suspicious activity.
Receiving an automated phone call
- The call will ask for some security details so that we know we’ve reached the right person.
- You'll be asked to confirm your name and then your date of birth.
- We'll then read out the transactions we want you to confirm.
- If you confirm you recognise the transactions, you can continue banking as normal. If any payments were declined, you'll need to make them again.
- If you don't recognise one or more of the transactions, you can speak with one of our team who will help you.
Please remember, we'll never ask for details such as your card PIN, Online Banking passwords and One Time Passcodes (OTP). If you're asked to share these, hang up and call us anytime on 0330 123 9860 or freephone 0800 011 3414.
Receiving an interactive text message
- You’ll get 2 messages.
- The first message lets you know we need to confirm some transactions with you.
- The second message will give details of the transactions we want you to confirm. You can reply to the message with ‘Y’ to confirm you recognise all the transactions, or 'N’ if you don't recognise one or more of the transactions.
- If you reply 'Y', you can continue banking as normal. If any payments were declined you'll need to make them again.
- If you reply 'N', we'll call you back as soon as possible between 8am -10pm or we'll give you a number to call us on which is always available.
If we can't reach you
We'll contact you to let you know we have been trying to get in touch. We’ll ask you to call us back as soon as you can.
We may need to stop or hold your account or payment until we can speak to you. This is to protect your money and keep your accounts safe.
Are your details correct?
We need you to keep your contact details up-to-date. Please check and amend the contact details we have for you in Online Banking, Telephone Banking or in a branch.