Lloyds Banking Group has issued a “don’t reply” warning over Royal Mail and HMRC scams. Scam emails and texts are doing the rounds and targeting customers and bank account holders with the banking group, with Lloyds issuing a guide on its website explaining what to look out for.
Fraudsters can send messages to try to steal your personal and banking details, the high street banking giant says. “The first thing to do with any email is to make sure it’s genuine,” Lloyds explained. “Fraudsters know that people are often too busy or distracted to check carefully.
“Wait until you’ve enough time to check it from top to bottom, or you might miss something that’s obvious.” Fraudsters can copy a company name, logo or style. But they can’t make an exact copy of an email address, the high street banking group said on its website.
“Hover your mouse cursor over the address or tap it on a mobile device to show the sender’s full email. If it doesn’t match the sender’s name, it’s a scam.” it said. The bank went on: “Scam emails come without warning. If it comes out of the blue and is about money or sharing your details, it’s a scam.
“Fraudsters use threats or tempting offers so you react without thinking.” It added: “Fraudsters are after your details, so be suspicious if it doesn’t greet you by name. Call the person or company on a number you trust to ask if they sent it. Never use a number from a suspicious email.
“Check for spelling and grammar errors as these can be signs of a scam. But fraudsters are clever and can write without mistakes. So, if you don’t find any, it doesn’t mean an email is genuine. Find the website on a search engine so you can contact them to check if the email is genuine.
“If you spot any of these tricks, don’t reply, just delete the email. Once a fraudster has your personal or banking details, they can use them on a call to pretend to be someone you trust.” The main trick here is a threat to make you act without thinking, Lloyds said.c
