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Such “safe account” scams make up a fifth of all fraud losses, according to the banking trade body UK Finance, with victims losing £4,500 per case on average.
Four in five of the scams start with a text message, according to TSB. It said Royal Mail was the most impersonated delivery company, followed by DPD then Hermes.
The bank’s Paul Davis said fraudsters threatened to “ruin Christmas” and urged shoppers to be vigilant. “Scammers are changing their methods all the time. Clicking on a link in an SMS might seem like a small act, but it could be the beginning of your life savings being stolen from you. It’s important to remain on guard. Never input personal details into an SMS link, and certainly not your card details,” he said.
It is the latest in a series of warnings, amid surging levels of financial crime. Fraudsters stole close to £1bn in the first half of the year alone, up a third on the same time last year, UK Finance figures showed.
The City watchdog issued its own alert today, warning of a string of attacks on poorer families borrowing money to cover their Christmas expenses. The Financial Conduct Authority said it had already received close to 1,500 reports of loan fraud in the 12 months to November.
Last year it saw cases rise by a third in the run up to Christmas, with victims losing close to £300 on average.
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