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Authorised push payment (APP) scams happen when someone is tricked into sending money to a fraudster posing as a genuine payee.

Some new rules apply from 7 October 2024 if you're the victim of an authorised push payment (APP) scam.

Find out more about common APP scams to watch out for.

Purchase scams happen when you’re paying for an item or service. The item doesn't arrive, or you don't receive the service and your money is lost.

Typically, these scams:

• Ask you to send money via bank transfer rather than using a card or cheque
• Offer a too-good-to-be-true deal or discount
• Have 'limited availability', or are a 'special offer' to encourage you to act quickly
• Persuade you to send money before receiving a service
• Are advertised on social media or other online marketplaces, or in some cases through legitimate looking websites that have actually been set up by fraudsters

Remember to:

• Use safe sites when shopping online
• Use safe ways to pay, such as your debit or credit card 
• Check the returns and cancellations policy
• Research the retailer online to make sure they’re legitimate
• Stop and think - would you be willing to send cash in the post for an item you've ordered?
• Research and check the validity of the item before paying - ask to see it if possible
• Approach an independent professional to authenticate the goods or services you're purchasing

Read our real-life case study of how one HSBC customer lost almost £1,000 to a purchase scam.

Criminals may contact you with investment opportunities offering guaranteed, or very high, returns. 

They'll usually cold call you, and in order to convince you, use false testimonials or fake celebrity endorsements. They may set up spoof websites and fake companies that have similar (or the same) names as genuine investment organisations.

They can produce convincing marketing materials and might refer to current news to make the opportunity seem realistic.

If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

Be wary if someone contacts you out of the blue, claiming they can recover money you’ve lost in a crypto or investment scam. This is called an investment recovery scam.

In these scams, criminals pretend to be from real companies and say they can get your money back.

These criminals target people who’ve already lost money to fraud or scams. They’ll ask you to pay fees to release the ‘recovered funds’. But they’ll keep asking for more money and never return any. Criminals may even show fake screenshots of accounts with your ‘recovered’ money to trick you.

What to watch out for

Criminals might:

• Contact you unexpectedly and say they can get your money back
• Rush you to pay fake fees for taxes, solicitors, or administration fees
• Show pictures of fake accounts with your ‘money’
• Pretend to be legitimate to win your trust – they may even make a fake version of a real company to trick you

How to stay safe

Here’s what you can do:

• Be wary of websites, surprise phone calls or social media adverts claiming they can get your money back
• Ask questions if you get a phone call. Ask how they know you’ve lost money. Fraud reports can only be shared between law enforcement agencies, not private companies
• Hang up immediately if you’re asked to pay a fee or share your bank account, card or financial details

If someone asks you to buy gold and hand it to them for safekeeping, it’s a scam.

Fraudsters are tricking people into buying gold, jewellery or other precious metals and then physically handing it over to criminals.

They may pose as police, bank employees, or other government officials (or all of these together) to make you believe your money is not safe in the bank.

What to look out for

The exact details of each scam can vary. They may involve more than one scammer posing as different organisations. They may tell you:

• You've been a victim of fraud within the bank and shouldn’t trust them
• You're helping a police investigation
• Your money is counterfeit
• You need to buy gold or jewellery to stay safe

Scammers will make you believe they are helping you to trick you into giving them gold. They might ask you to buy it from a reputable supplier.

The police and government agencies will NEVER ask you to buy gold. Anyone who does this is trying to trick you.

How to stay safe

Stop and think. If you are asked to buy gold to stay safe, it's a scam. Legitimate fraud investigations won't ask you to do this.

If someone contacts you or asks you to buy or hand over gold or jewellery, hang up immediately.

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, call the number on the back of your HSBC card immediately. You can also make a report to .

Cryptocurrency is a digital asset that can be traded or exchanged online. 

It's unregulated, highly speculative and there's no investor protection.

Cryptocurrency has increased in popularity over the last few years, with some people seeing high returns on investments.

However, criminals are using this as an opportunity to steal your money.

They may do this by:

• Contacting you by phone or on social media platforms
• Advertising fake investments that don’t really exist or have falsely advertise high returns
• Convincing you to sign up with a cryptocurrency provider with your identity documents to open a trading account or online wallet
• Persuading you to invest and set up fake but realistic-looking websites and portfolios

Remember to:

• Check how it works - it may differ from a traditional investment
• Stay in control - never let anyone set up a cryptocurrency wallet, upload ID documents or manage investments for you
• Don't share access - fraudsters may ask you to download software so they can access your devices and move money without your knowledge
• Spot familiar tricks - you may be asked to move money and asked to mislead your bank about the reason for making the payment. Fraudsters know payments for investments may attract more scrutiny and will try to avoid it
• Don't fall for fake endorsements - fraudsters may impersonate famous personalities on social media or messaging groups, to make their offer look legitimate
• Don't be pressured - high value cases even give a return in the short term, to convince you to invest more. Then, after larger payments are sent, you suffer even greater losses

You can find out more about cryptocurrency and read a real-life case study on our cryptocurrency fraud page.

Scammers can send messages via WhatsApp, SMS and social media. They'll often impersonate your son, daughter, or other family member or friend. If they're impersonating your child, they'll usually start the message with ‘Hi mum’ or ‘Hi dad.’

They'll then give you a reason why they're using a different number, like they've lost or damaged their phone and are using a friend’s phone.

They'll tell you that they urgently need money for an unpaid bill or that they've lost their wallet. They'll then send you bank account details. If you regularly send money to the person they're impersonating, the bank details the scammer gives you won't match.

If you get a message from a friend or family member asking for money, speak to them either face-to-face or by calling their old number before you make a payment. Don't use the number you've been given.

Please note: HSBC doesn't use WhatsApp to communicate with customers.

Scammers can pretend to be a trusted organisation. They may impersonate HSBC, the police, a government department (like HMRC) or a service provider. They may even spoof the organisation's number to convince you its really them.

No genuine company will ever ask you to transfer money to a safe account or ask for your PIN, password or passcode. If you're contacted by anyone and told to move your money to keep it safe, stop. This is always a scam.

How these scams work

You get a call from HSBC on a known and trusted number. The caller claims to be from HSBC’s fraud department and tells you that your account is at risk. They say you need to move your money into a newly opened account to keep it safe. They'll then give you the details of this account and ask you to transfer the money into it.

The scammer will tell you what options to select if you're sending the payment online. They'll also tell you what to say to the advisor if you choose to make a payment over the phone or in the branch.

The scammer will always try to avoid suspicion. They'll tell you that the Confirmation of Payee won’t show a ‘confirmed match’ as the account is too new for it to work. What you’re really doing is sending the money to an account in the fraudsters name.​

How to stay safe

We won’t phone you and ask you to approve a payment. Only approve payments that you know you’ve made yourself.

Don’t give anyone remote access to your computer or install software following a cold call or unsolicited message or text.

Scammers send texts that appear to be from ‘HSBC’. If you receive a text with a one-time passcode you didn’t ask for, or about a payment you don’t recognise, it’s probably a scam.

This type of scam starts with a fast-moving, online relationship.

Criminals target people looking for love. They’ll use fake pictures and profiles to trick you and build trust quickly. They often have excuses for why they can’t meet you in person, like saying they're in the armed forces or work overseas.

These criminals are experts at playing with your emotions. That’s why they’ll work so hard to build trust and forge a close connection with you.

Once they have you hooked, they’ll ask you for money. They might say it’s for travel or to cover an emergency – and they’re counting on your feelings to ‘help’ them.

Another common trick is to claim they’ve sent you a gift, like jewellery, gold, or cash. You’ll then be told you need to pay ‘fees’ such as taxes, import duties or courier fees to receive it. But you’ll never get anything.

To avoid falling for these scams:

• Never send money to someone you’ve only met online. They might not be who they claim to be.
• Don’t agree to transfer money on behalf of someone else. It could be moving money illegally and get you involved in criminal activity.

Read our how to avoid romance scams page to learn more and keep yourself safe.

Read a recent case study of how one woman was conned out of £100,000.

Criminals can hack and monitor your emails, and when payments are due, they’ll send their own email that looks like a genuine message from a real company.

They'll tell you that the bank details for your payment have changed, and give you the new details to send your payments to. This could be a house deposit to your solicitor, or a payment to a contractor for home improvements, for example.

If you're contacted about a change of payment details, always: 

• Call the company on a number you're sure is genuine to confirm
• Check for poor spelling and grammar within the email – this usually signals a scam
• Check the sender's email address is correct

Scammers prey on those who are low on funds to act as ‘money mules’. This means you allow money to be transferred through your bank account in exchange for payment. 

Hard-up students are often targeted, with job adverts and spam emails offering ‘easy money’. You’ll be asked to provide your bank details, receive a payment into your account and then either withdraw it in cash, or transfer it to another account.

It might seem like a harmless way to increase your income, but the money being transferred is stolen and used to fund organised crime.

This can get you into serious trouble. If you’re caught, you could get up to 14 years in prison. Your bank accounts will be closed, you’ll have problems applying for a loan, a mortgage or even a mobile phone contract. 

To learn more about the consequences of becoming a money mule and what the proceeds of money laundering are used for, check out the 

Scammers can pose as a tradesperson, coming to your door and offering you a service you haven't asked for or need.

They may tell you that urgent work needs to be done (like to your roof or driveway) and pressure you into accepting their service. They may not start or even complete the work, and they may overcharge you.

• Someone knocks on your door and convinces you work needs to be done on your house – they might even start the work
• They give you a quote and ask you to start paying, eventually asking for more and more
• They may ask you to pay in advance for materials, but never return to do the work

• Don’t feel rushed to get work done by someone knocking on your door
• Do your research, read reviews about them online and get several quotes before making any decisions
• Don’t believe anyone who unexpectedly tells you work needs to be done on your house - talk to a friend or family member, or ask a trader you know is trustworthy
• If you feel uncomfortable, close the door

A scammer may offer to move your pension to a new scheme which allows you access to the funds before the legal age of 55.

To avoid suspicion they'll tell you not to explain to your existing pension provider why you're moving the money.

Victims of these scams are usually asked to pay a very high fee and may also face serious tax consequences.

Be wary of scams like this and, if in doubt, seek advice from registered pension providers.

Remember to:

• Check the  to confirm the investment company is authorised, and to look for verified contact details
• Make sure you’re speaking to a real representative of the company and not an imposter. Visit the  to check cloned firms and individuals, or contact the company on an independently verified number or email address to confirm
• Search for the firm or company you’re dealing with on the  
• Research – if you’re entering into a cryptocurrency investment, make sure you understand how everything works
• Seek advice from a financial advisor

A website, advert, email, social media post or text promising a great holiday could be a scam. 

Either the holiday doesn’t exist – or it does exist, but it's being sold to you by a criminal.

You might not realise you’ve been scammed until the flight tickets don’t arrive, or you turn up at the resort, airport or cruise terminal only to find you’ve lost your money.

A QR code is a type of barcode that stores information as a series of pixels in a square-shaped grid. It can be read quickly and easily by digital devices like your mobile phone.

As the use of QR codes increases, criminals are creating counterfeit codes which lead to fake websites or download malicious software to your device. This can lead to you handing your personal or financial details over to a fraudster. 

Most smartphone cameras will provide a preview of a QR code's link as you start to scan it. If the URL looks suspicious or isn't what you expected, don't tap on the link.

QR codes are intended to be a convenient way of finding information and in many cases are. However, if you’re unsure, go directly to the official website or app instead.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, so do the tactics of cybercriminals. Scammers will try anything to steal your money or personal details so it’s important to stay alert and take steps to protect yourselves.

Recently, we’ve seen an increase in the use of AI software that can clone a person’s voice from just a few seconds of publicly available video or audio. Scammers use this to develop convincing “scripts” that persuade loved ones, friends, or relatives that someone they know is in trouble and needs money quickly. 

Similarly, deepfake imagery and video can make emails and links seem authentic.

Always:

• Be wary of unsolicited messages, phone calls or texts and take the time to check that the phone number or address is what you’d expect
• Avoid opening attachments that look like invoices or photos if they come from an unfamiliar source
• Keep a regular, close eye on your bank accounts for any unusual transactions. Ensure transaction notifications are switched on in your Mobile Banking app
• Read more about how to spot deepfake scams.