Impersonation Scam
Customers have received fraudulent texts purporting to be from C. Hoare & Co.; an example is shown above.
The text has been sent in order to establish a connection and trust. It is possible the fraudsters could call impersonating C. Hoare & Co. or some other organisation.
Criminals can be very persuasive and may put you under pressure to act immediately. (‘If you don’t do this right now, your account will be emptied/your service will be cut off/you risk a penalty.’) They may also use a tactic called ‘spoofing’ to make their call look genuine by cloning the number or sender ID of legitimate organisations.
Some fraudsters are exceptionally plausible. If they play on your sympathy/anxiety, and you find it difficult to say ‘No’ outright, tell them you do not have authority to do as they ask, or explain that you need time to verify the request. If they are a genuine professional, they will understand why you are checking; if they become pushy or insistent, they are almost certainly criminals.
If you have any concerns, please do not engage in conversation, as this could place you at risk. Instead, end the call immediately and telephone the bank, preferably on a separate device.
You can read more about how to stay safe from fraud here.
PLEASE REMEMBER: You should never share an OTP with anyone, in any circumstances, over the telephone.
