These scams usually start as phone calls warning you of something criminal going on. Of course, the scam caller doesn’t tell you she is the criminal.

The scammers intent is to convince you to move your money to an account of their choosing and there’s usually a complicated story to get to that point.

e.g. “I am a Police officer working in the fraud department and we are tracking a criminal team working with an insider at your bank. This insider has been trying to take money from your account and other people’s and we must catch him before he takes any more. We need your help to catch him out”.

So, that’s the setup phase, then comes the reason to move your money.

“To protect your money, we need to move it to a safe location that the criminals cannot access. Please move your money to the following sort code and account code and we’ll keep it safe for you and do remember not to contact your bank as they may tip off the criminals.”

Once the scammer has your money then it will be moved again to somewhere offshore where it cannot be traced and your money is gone.

Some people who have fallen for this scam or something similar blame the bank for moving their money, but if they are not told there is a problem and you request the move then why shouldn’t they do as asked.

Banks are aware of this scam and usually ask people trying to move their money out of the bank if they are under any duress or need advice.

Do not take instructions from a cold caller on the phone.

Just because someone claims to be from your bank or the Police doesn’t make it true.

Take care.

If you have any experiences with these scams do let me know, by email.