Overview
- TSB says impersonation fraud now makes up 29% of its bank‑transfer cases, up 15% year on year, with average losses per case exceeding £3,100.
- One case involved a customer in their late 60s making 60 payments over four years to a message‑board contact who claimed to be fleeing an abusive family.
- Another case saw a customer in their late 70s lose more than £4,000 after a social‑media friendship led to requests for medical‑bill payments and gift cards.
- Experts from Age UK and Which? flag red flags including emotional pressure, reluctance to meet or video‑call, urgent pleas, and requests for transfers or gift cards.
- TSB urges people to tighten privacy settings, check in on vulnerable relatives, and report suspected scams to their bank and Action Fraud or Police Scotland, noting some victims are refunded when cases are reported quickly.