Nationwide has expanded its popular Scam Checker service with a new Call Checker feature that tells customers they are speaking to them and not a fraudster.
The Call Checker service comes as research from Nationwide reveals the average Brit receives eight scam calls a month – equivalent to two every week.
Millions of pounds is lost every year to impersonation scams, with Nationwide’s own customer data (2) showing they comprise 17 per cent of reported scams. All ages are affected by criminals pretending to be their bank or building society, although Nationwide’s figures show it disproportionately impacts those over 65 years old (with 55% affected). However, around one in six (16%) 18-34-year-olds and nearly two in ten (19%) of 50-65s have also been targeted.
Call Checker gives customers confidence that they are speaking to a genuine Nationwide colleague. It complements its existing Scam Checker service, which is used by 100k people and prevents £300k a month from being lost. The new feature enables customers to instantly confirm whether the call they’re on is genuine through Nationwide’s banking app. Customers can open the app, go to "More”, and “Call Checker”, and instantly see whether they’re on a call with Nationwide. The screen will display either “You’re on a call with Alex” or “You’re not on a call with us.”
Nationwide’s research shows the scale of the problem: well over half (57%) of people believe suspicious calls are becoming more frequent, with the average Brit receiving eight scam calls a month – equivalent to two every week. Alarmingly, more than one in four (28%) admit they’re not confident in spotting a genuine call from their bank.
Younger adults are particularly vulnerable. A quarter of 25-34-year-olds would return a call to an unknown number, and 44 per cent have received a scam call, compared to 28 percent across all ages.
Fraudsters use increasingly bold tactics when pretending to be a customer’s bank, asking victims to share personal details (50%), provide security codes (34%) in addition to transferring money (31%), and even telling people to lie to their bank or building society (15%). This gives them access to their victim's bank account and by asking them to lie to their bank - often suggesting they say they are paying a friend or family - it will help them go under the radar and face fewer checks than a high-risk payment such as an investment.
While over half (53%) of Brits hang up immediately when they become suspicious, only 29 per cent report the incident to their bank and 26 per cent to Action Fraud. Worryingly, this leaves close to a fifth (17%) doing nothing.
Jim Winters, Director of Economic Crime at Nationwide said: "Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, and impersonation calls are one of the most common ways they trick people into handing over money. We are programmed to trust people and when someone uses clever tactics and well-practised scripts - often putting us under pressure or making us panic - it can be hard to know who to trust. Our Call Checker feature gives our customers peace of mind by confirming if a call is genuine, or not. It’s a simple and effective step that could prevent someone from becoming the next crime statistic."
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