A National Insurance number scam has emerged with many receiving fraudulent calls in a bid to steal personal information for malicious purposes.
How to spot the signs of this scam
Should you receive an automated phone message advising that your National Insurance number has been “compromised”, this is a scam and you should hang up. The message will even suggest that legal proceedings are about to start unless you provide confirmation of who you are. This is just an attempt to get personal information from you for use in a future fraud.
This particular scam has been given coverage in the national press in the last week, but has also been personally experienced by our staff. Calls ‘out of the blue’ are not the government’s way of initiating contact. In line with advice from Action Fraud (the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime).
How to protect yourself against fraud
- Stop and think – should you really be parting with personal information or money over the phone
- Challenge what you’re being asked – a fraudster will try to panic you into a rushed decision
- Protect yourself – if you realise that you’ve been subject of a scam but have given personal details, contact your bank, building society and credit card company immediately and report the matter to Action Fraud. You can also contact the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (cifas) to apply for ‘protective registration’. This process then requires additional checks to be carried out if a financial service (e.g. a loan or new credit card) is applied for using your name and address to establish if the applicant is you or a fraudster