{"id":100285,"date":"2024-12-24T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=100285"},"modified":"2024-12-23T22:03:33","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T22:03:33","slug":"santander-highlights-top-scam-tactics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/santander-highlights-top-scam-tactics\/","title":{"rendered":"Santander Highlights Top Scam Tactics Preying on Christmas Shoppers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Scammers now thrive over the <strong>Christmas season<\/strong>, which is a time of giving and extravagant spending. False investment schemes, deceptive internet advertisements, and impersonation techniques have all been used to entice victims, with disastrous results for their well-being and financial situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Santander: Surge in Scams Over Christmas Week<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The bank disclosed that <strong>596 instances<\/strong> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsbc.co.uk\/help\/security-centre\/what-is-an-authorised-push-payment-scam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Authorized Push Payment <\/a>(APP) fraud were reported between December 25, 2023, and January 1, 2024, resulting in losses of \u00a31,999,444.34 Ten frauds totaling <strong>\u00a33,971<\/strong> were recorded on Christmas Day alone, while Boxing Day witnessed an even greater rise with 25 scams totaling <strong>\u00a345,788.01.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In one especially serious instance, a customer lost more than \u00a3600,000 to a bogus investment scheme\u2014the largest loss <strong>Santander <\/strong>has received this year. Online platforms are being used by scammers to advertise &#8220;too good to be true&#8221; discounts on in-demand goods and pressure gullible customers into making snap selections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pete Staffel,<\/strong> a Behavioural Scientist at Santander, highlighted the dangers: \u201cIt\u2019s that time of year when everyone is looking for that perfect gift, whether it\u2019s the sold-out toy or \u2018something a bit different\u2019. Online adverts are the prime place for finding that dream present \u2013 I even found one the other day, a perfect family game, complete with a video showing how it all worked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the Bank Is Tackling Fraud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Santander\u2019s fraud team operates around the clock, providing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/free-support-payments-225-households\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"100010\">support <\/a>and advice<\/strong> to customers year-round, including the festive period. They report that scams often follow a familiar pattern: fraudsters use convincing adverts or pose as<strong> trusted organisations<\/strong> to persuade victims to part with their money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers are advised by the bank to be wary of internet offers, especially those that demand<strong> instant payment.<\/strong> The likelihood of being a victim of fraud can be considerably decreased by taking easy steps like checking <strong>reviews<\/strong>, making sure payment methods are secure, and avoiding unwanted links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Santander has started initiatives to inform the public about typical scam techniques, such as <strong>phishing emails<\/strong> and phony investment possibilities, in an effort to increase awareness. Additionally, customers are urged to report any <strong>suspicious behavior<\/strong> right once so that the bank can minimise losses and prevent transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Staying Vigilant During the Holiday Season<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dd831b27\">\n\n<p>With scammers showing no signs of slowing down, <strong>Santander <\/strong>emphasises the importance of caution during this high-risk period. Fraudulent schemes have become more sophisticated, targeting not just individuals but also businesses.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The bank\u2019s key advice includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Double-checking the legitimacy of sellers and online platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding urgency tactics used by fraudsters to pressure decisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contacting the bank immediately if fraud is suspected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>By staying informed and vigilant, customers can better protect themselves and enjoy a safer holiday season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After nearly \u00a32 million was lost to scammers in a single week, Santander has issued an urgent warning about an increase in scams during the holiday season. The bank&#8217;s fraud specialists advise increased vigilance, warning that thieves are taking advantage of the festive rush to target unwary consumers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":100286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100285"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100304,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100285\/revisions\/100304"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}