Scammers are getting increasingly smarter. We therefore find it important to keep you abreast of new types of scams, in order to enable you to spot them more quickly and enjoy our banking services without having to worry. We would like to inform you of a modified form of safe account scam: scammers coming to your home ‘on behalf of the bank’, for example to collect your debit card. This article tells you how to recognise this type of scam.
Safe account scams are a type of scam where a scammer calls you on the phone pretending to be a representative from your bank. They can even manipulate the telephone number shown on your screen. This way, it looks as if the bank is calling you. This technique is called spoofing.
The so-called bank employee tells you there is an urgent problem, often related to suspicious transactions in your current account. For example, that attempts are being made to transfer money from your account to Brazil or Ukraine.
The 'fake employee' then tries to convince you to transfer your money into a 'safe account' or 'secure account', or to share your security codes. Please be aware that this is all a trick. We will never ask you to share your security codes or transfer money, and safe accounts do not exist.
Recently, we have noticed that different types of scams are being combined. A current example is the combination of safe account scams and door to door scams. First a so-called ABN AMRO employee calls you on the phone with some excuse. Instead of convincing you on the phone to transfer your money, the scammer offers that ‘a colleague’ will call on you at your home to resolve the issue. Do you see the similarity with door to door scams? The scammer tries to trick you into giving someone entry to your home.
Usually, of course, you would not let just any old stranger enter your home. The scammer will therefore often mention several personal details during the call, such as your address or your account details. This way, they hope to gain your trust and convince you that you are really talking to a representative from ABN AMRO. Fortunately, he has got good news: 'There is a colleague in the vicinity who can stop by your home to resolve the issue.'
When the fake employee calls on you, he will ask for your debit card and/or your security codes. Or he may ask you to log on to Internet Banking or the ABN AMRO app there and then and transfer money. Do not fall for it. Not on the phone, but not inside your home either. Normally you would certainly think twice, but you are undoubtedly thrown off balance by the scammer’s fairy tale. If you bear the following in mind, you will not give scammers much of a chance.
