Reporting fraud or scams
If you think you’ve been targeted by fraud or a scam, please contact us, as it’s important that you report it straight away.
If there’s activity on your account you don’t recognise but you’re not sure if it’s fraud, read our helpful sections on this page to find out which steps you should take first.
Still concerned? Please speak to a member of our team.
Reporting your card as lost or stolen
If your card has been lost or stolen, please report it. We’ll immediately cancel that card and send a replacement to you.
Read our lost and stolen cards page to find out the easiest ways to report your card as lost or stolen.
If you spot a transaction on your account you don't recognise, it could be where a retailer or business uses a different name, or it could be a case of fraud.
Unrecognised transactions
Check the business name
Some businesses, especially online services, use a different name on your statement to the one you may recognise. Use a search engine to browse for the name appearing on your transaction to see if it's something you have legitimately purchased.
Check for ongoing subscriptions
Many online services now use a subscription plan which will automatically bill you after an initial free or discounted period expires. Check any services where you've previously subscribed but haven't cancelled.
For example, Amazon charges an annual fee for their Amazon Prime service which is automatically taken from your account each year unless you cancel. If you see an unrecognised transaction from a retailer known to you, it's worth checking directly with them before contacting our fraud team.
Report a fraudulent transaction
If you're still unsure about a transaction, please call us and our team will investigate.
Suspicious calls or messages
If you think a phone call, text message or email is suspicious don't take a chance, Call us on 08000 84 28 88, if calling from a UK landline or mobile, or +44 (0) 1534 885 000 (Jersey branch) or +44 (0) 1624 641 888 (Isle of Man branch), if calling from overseas.
Spotting a suspicious call
No-one from Santander, even our fraud team, will ask you to give them your PIN or OTP (One Time Passcode). If someone asks you for this on the phone, it will be a case of fraud. Hang up and call our team on the number above.
Telephone scams commonly pose as a bank, the police or some official department. They may give you fake details such as a crime reference number or force ID number and ask you to help with a fraud case, or tell you that there's been fraudulent activity on your account. A genuine bank (or organisation) will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or OTP number.
Please be cautious if an organisation asks for remote access to your computer. If you're asked to download software to allow them to fix, upgrade or protect your computer, be aware this enables them to see everything. You should never log on to Online Banking or any other sensitive site when this software is running.
Spotting a suspicious text message
Any text message which asks you to update your banking details or log on to your account will be fake. The text message may even appear in a thread of previous genuine messages from Santander, such as previously sent OTP numbers. This is easily faked and isn't proof that it's from us.
A genuine bank (or organisation) will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or OTP number. If a text message or call asks you to do this, it will be a case of fraud.
Spotting a suspicious email
Email scams can be very convincing and look genuine. Here are some signs to spot a fraudulent email:
- The email is impersonal and addresses you by either 'Dear Sir/Madam' or uses your email address, for example, 'Dear yourname@address.com'
- The sender's email address doesn't match the website address or organisation name it says it's from
- They ask you to click a link to update your personal information
- They tell you something is urgent and needs immediate attention
Don't click a link in an email requesting your details. If you're even slightly unsure, phone the company directly (using a number on their main website) and tell them you've received a suspicious email.
You can read more detail about scams and how to spot them on our Top Security Tips page or visit the Take Five website from Financial Fraud Action UK.
There are times we may contact you to check a transaction is genuine. We use an automated service so we can reach you as quickly as possible for any potentially suspicious activity.
Receiving a phone call from Santander International Fraud Team
- The call will ask for some security details so that we know we’ve reached the right person.
- You'll be asked to confirm your name and then your date of birth.
- We'll then read out the transactions we want you to confirm.
- If you confirm you recognise the transactions, you can continue banking as normal. If any payments were declined, you'll need to make them again.
- If you don't recognise one or more of the transactions, you can speak with one of our team who will help you further.
Please remember, we'll never ask for details such as your card PIN, Online Banking passwords or OTP number. If you're asked to share these, hang up and call us
If we can't reach you
If you aren't available, we'll contact you to let you know we have been trying to get in touch and ask you to call us back as soon as you can.
We may need to stop or hold your account or payment until we can speak to you. This is to protect your money and keep your accounts safe.
Are your details correct?
It is important we have your up-to-date contact details. If you have not advised us of your current contact details please contact us.
