Fake letters sent to Northamptonshire homes are fooling people into divulging bank details, police say

A leading high street bank has confirmed that letters claiming 'unusual activity has been spotted on customers' accounts are fakes sent by conmen.
Scam letters purportedly sent  by Lloyds should be ignored say Action Fraud. Action Fraud co-ordinates fraud warnings, which police forces then distribute to the community.Scam letters purportedly sent  by Lloyds should be ignored say Action Fraud. Action Fraud co-ordinates fraud warnings, which police forces then distribute to the community.
Scam letters purportedly sent by Lloyds should be ignored say Action Fraud. Action Fraud co-ordinates fraud warnings, which police forces then distribute to the community.

Northamptonshire Police has sent out a warning about the Lloyds scam, which sees convincing letters being sent that fraudsters have set up using a replica template, including their logo, address and signature from a customer service representative.

Action Fraud, which co-ordinates scam warnings, said: "The letter tells recipients that there have been some “unusual transactions” on their personal account and asks them to call a number highlighted in bold to confirm they are genuine.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"When victims call the number, an automated welcome message is played and the caller is asked to enter their card number, account number and sort code followed by their date of birth.Victims are then instructed to enter the first and last digit of their security number."

The fraud was first spotted by the Daily Telegraph, which was alerted to it by a reader who had three identical letters sent to an office address.

On separate occasions, the Daily Telegraph ran some tests using fake details and were passed to fraudsters who claimed to be from a Lloyds contact centre. The bank has since confirmed that the phone number and letters are fake.

The Action Fraud spokesman said: "The letters are essentially a sophisticated phishing attempt and serves as a warning to consumers to question written correspondence from their banks."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If you are ever suspicious about correspondence from your bank you should call the customer serviced number on the back of their card.

To report a fraud and cyber crime, call us on 0300 123 2040 or visit http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud