Protect yourself from Scams and Fraud

Anybody can fall victim to fraudsters and scams, especially online. Scammers make their living by tricking people out of their hard-earned savings, so knowing how to spot a scam is an important skill. 

To help keep you safe, All our branch staff have become a ‘Friend Against Scams’  http://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk  This provides staff with the knowledge and understanding to enable them to support our members around the different types of scams in circulation.

Take Five is a national campaign that offers straightforward and impartial advice to help everyone protect themselves from preventable financial fraud.

• A bank, building society or other trusted organisations will never contact you unexpectedly to ask for personal financial information or to ask you to move money to another account, often referred to as a “Safe Account”.
• Never click on links from unexpected or suspicious emails or texts as this could give fraudsters access to your personal or financial details.
• You can forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspected scam texts to your mobile network provider by forwarding them to 7726. An easy way to remember 7726 is that they are the numbers on your telephone keypad that spell out the word ‘SPAM’.
• Always question unexpected approaches in case its fraudulent. If you’re unsure whether the approach is genuine or not, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number.
• A genuine organisation will never rush you into making financial transaction and they would never ask you to transfer money into another account.
• If something feels wrong or seems “Too good to be true” then it is usually right to question it. Take the time to think about any offer, even if it’s genuine. Don’t be embarrassed to say ‘No’ or ask them to leave.
• Call 999 if you feel threatened or in danger. Call the police non-emergency number 101 if you’re not in immediate danger but want to report an incident

For more information on the types of scams and how to protect yourself from fraudulent activities visit https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/

If you receive an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be from Melton Building Society and are unsure if it is genuine, please get in touch with us on 01664 414141 and we’ll be able to confirm for you whether the call was genuine or not.

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via Action Fraud