News / Scammers pretend to be RBS
SHETLANDERS have been warned about the latest telephone scam doing the rounds in the isles.
A couple said they received a call purporting to be from RBS, with the bank apparently wanting to discuss a payment to a retailer which had not been authorised.
The payment was not genuine and this prompted them to end the call.
Shetland Islands Council’s trading standards team leader David Marsh encouraged locals to remain vigilant when picking up the phone.
He said: “Never disclose sensitive personal or financial information to someone who calls you like this.
“Instead, end the call and check that your phone line is clear by calling a friend or relative. You should then contact your bank using a number which you trust, such as one from your bank card or statement or from the bank’s website.”
In this instance, the couple ended up ringing 1471 to find out the number of the caller, which showed to be a genuine RBS customer services number.
However, the council said that some criminals use a technique called “spoofing” to mirror real telephone numbers.
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