Pick up to fraud victims: Call for big banks to run scam hotlines

Money Mail today calls on major banks to bring back special helplines for fraud victims.

Last month, we revealed how High Street giants had raised the alarm about an impending scam epidemic as scammers try to monetize fears over the cost of living.

But we’ve found that HSBC has quietly shut down its fraud hotline during the pandemic.

Others, including Co-operative Bank, Lloyds, First Direct, Metro Bank, and Santander, also do not provide a specific number for scam victims.

Customers are instead directed to general helplines, where wait times have increased in recent years. They then face further delays before getting through to the fraud department.

Santander doesn’t even allow victims to report a scam to staff in its branches. They are told to call the general customer service helpline instead.

Even if banks offer a special number, it is often buried under endless options and drop-down menus on their websites and hard to find for panicked customers.

Money Mail understands that many banks are now relying instead on a little-known emergency hotline that launched in September 2021.

Under the scheme, customers who fear fraud can call 159 to be connected to their bank.

Few people know that this number exists because most major companies do not advertise it prominently on their websites or in affiliates. And despite the goal, those who call the helpline often don’t even get through to their own bank’s fraud department.

Our findings come after UK Finance banking revealed that a record £1.3bn was stolen by scammers last year.

So-called push payments or ‘authorized’ fraud, where victims are manipulated and manipulated into revealing personal information and transferring money, were the biggest cause of losses.

But customers caught in this type of scam routinely struggle to get their money back, with only 42 percent of the stolen money being returned.

That is why it is so important that victims can warn their bank about suspicious transactions as soon as possible.

Any delay reduces the already slim chance that companies will be able to recover lost money.

Consumer expert Martyn James says: ‘Banks must invest in their first-line fraud services as an absolute priority. Fraud and scams are endemic at the moment and if you don’t, banks could be demonstrably liable if they don’t wire you in time to actually prevent fraud.’

Jane Hawkes, a customer service advocate, added: “If someone suspects they have been the victim of fraud, they need to be able to report it in the fastest, most efficient and secure way.

“It’s a failure of a bank if they don’t provide a dedicated helpline. There is absolutely no excuse.’

A Money Mail reader says she had to wait nearly an hour before reporting a scam to Santander.

She’d noticed a £250 transaction that she didn’t recognize, pushing her into her overdraft. But after calling the customer service helpline, it took about 30 minutes for someone to answer.

She was then again put on hold for over 20 minutes before being referred to the correct team. “Going through the usual customer service just doesn’t work when you’re in that mindset. Banks need a special hotline,” she says.

HSBC customer Susan Martin, from Norwich, was put on hold for 30 minutes after receiving a fraud alert.

The 59-year-old and her husband David, 62, immediately called the number on the back of their card but gave up when they hung up on the line.

Susan says, “It’s unacceptable. The bank should call us or at the very least pick up the phone for fraud victims. It’s very inconvenient.’

And their experiences are far from unique. A survey by consumer group Which? Earlier this year, it was found that some banks make fraud victims wait more than half an hour to talk to someone.

Money Mail’s Pick Up or Pay Up campaign has also repeatedly named and shamed banks as one of the worst offenders of long call waiting times.

We’re calling for a new law to force businesses to pick up their phones within 10 minutes or face a hefty fine.

Which? also found that customers may even be charged a fee to call bank helplines. If a number starts with 03, calling can cost up to 16p per minute from a landline, or up to 65p per minute from a mobile, the consumer group warns.

It can be difficult for customers to find the right phone number because there is a muddle of options.

For example, Barclays offers a series of helplines for various services on its website, but customers must first answer several questions.

If you click on ‘contact us’ then ‘security and fraud’ and select the debit card option, you will be directed to the dedicated fraud hotline which is open 24/7, including holidays.

However, if you choose the ‘online banking’ option, you will see the bank’s digital helpdesk number, which is closed until 5 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends.

Most banks that don’t have a dedicated line for victims of fraud usually still have an emergency number that customers can call at any time of the day.

But TSB’s fraud line is only open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. — and a notice on its website warns that you may have to wait as it can get busy. Outside of these hours, customers can only report a scam online or via the mobile app.

The new 159 emergency reporting line for fraud was to be the equivalent of the NHS’s 111.

When customers call, an automated voice asks them to choose from a menu which bank to contact.

But in many cases, they are not transferred to the company’s fraud department, they are simply transferred to general customer service.

This means they will face further delays as they have to explain to staff why they are calling and wait to be transferred to the correct team.

It also means that the 159 service may not be available 24/7 as when to transfer victims depends on the bank’s opening hours.

Co-Operative Bank says customers calling this number will be put through to the fraud team, who they can’t reach directly. But few will know that this option exists as banks do not prominently advertise the new 159 number.

The hotline is available to 90 percent of current UK bank account holders and has handled nearly 170,000 calls since its launch last September.

But as it is still in a pilot phase, there have been no major marketing campaigns to raise awareness.

Simon Miller, Director of Policy and Communications at Stop Scams UK, which helped develop the 159 scheme, says: ‘The real benefit of 159 is that it’s not about reporting fraud, it’s about interrupting that scam journey. .

“It doesn’t matter if it’s forwarded to the fraud department or just to customer service, because the moment you call 159, you’re no longer speaking to a potential scammer.

“As we develop and develop the scheme, we would like to see a really consistent service for all our bank members.”

Barclays says a dedicated team is available 24 hours a day, and online banking support is available through the website after hours. First Direct, Lloyds and Metro Bank say customers can call and be transferred to a specialized fraud department.

A spokesman for HSBC says the bank has “simplified and improved” its fraud reporting processes and that people can use the numbers on the back of their cards.

He adds: “Customers don’t always easily make calls to numbers they don’t recognize, so a fraud hotline may not always be the ideal route for some.”

A Santander spokesperson said: “Our customer service number allows customers to report fraud to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

In September, our general banking line so far had an average wait time of less than three minutes and the wait time to speak to a fraud specialist is less than 14 minutes.

“In addition to our 24/7 customer service, we have comprehensive fraud detection and prevention systems to protect customers during the payment process.”

TSB says the average call wait time for its fraud team in the first half of this year was less than eight minutes. Customers can contact the lost and stolen card line 24/7 and are protected by the fraud refund guarantee.

t.armstrong@dailymail.co.uk