How to report, spot and avoid scams
Do you think you’re the victim of a scam or fraud? Please call us immediately so we can help you through the next steps. Our phone lines are open 24/7:
Card fraud is when a transaction is made from your debit or credit card that you don’t know about or haven’t authorised. Non-card fraud is an unauthorised transaction made by either moving funds digitally, or withdrawing a cheque or cash over the counter or over the phone.
The new requirements being introduced aim to enhance customer protection — with both the sending and receiving Payment Service Provider required to split the costs of reimbursement equally.
Who is eligible for fraud reimbursement under the new rules?Every claim will be reviewed individually based on the information you provide as well as any information available from the receiving Payment Service Provider or the police.
Reporting your claim
If you’ve been a victim of an APP scam and sent funds from your Metro Bank account, you should report this to us immediately. You can let us know by visiting any of our stores or by calling our UK based contact centre on 0345 0808 500*. You should also report this to the police, or consent to us reporting your claim to the police on your behalf.
Your claim will be assessed under the mandatory reimbursement requirements, and we’ll keep you updated. We may also need to contact you for further information to support your claim.
Find out more about Reimbursing authorised push payment (APP) fraud claims
We’re part of the Stop Scams UK initiative. It’s a collaboration between banks and telephone companies, to provide customers with a safe number to call if they think they are being scammed. If you get a call, SMS or email that seems like it might be pretending to be Metro Bank, asking you for personal information or login details – or telling you to transfer money – please stop, hang up, and call 159.
When we need to verify who you are, we’ll send a text message with a unique code to your mobile number.
The text will state exactly what the code is for, like creating a new payee or authorising a payment for a purchase you have just made online. You shouldn’t tell anyone what this code is, other than a Metro Bank colleague. If someone asks for the code for a different reason than is stated in the text message, you shouldn’t answer.
If you get a one-time passcode message you’re not expecting, give us a call on 0345 08 08 500.
You may need to log in to your Online Banking or Metro Bank App to authenticate a transaction when using your card online. You should only approve transactions that you are making. If you are asked to approve a transaction that you don’t recognise, please contact us immediately on 0345 08 08 500.
Confirmation of Payee is the account name checking service that allows payers to confirm if the name held on a payee’s account belongs to the person or business they want to pay. This can help to protect individuals and businesses against certain types of fraud, and to prevent payments like CHAPS, Faster Payments and Standing Orders from being sent to the wrong account.
You must remember to:
Stay safe:
Find out more about Confirmation of Payee
If we notice something suspicious or need to get in touch with you, we may call you or send you a text message. If it’s a text, it’ll be from ‘METROBANK’ or ‘MetroBank’.
While we may ask you to reply to messages, we’ll never:
If you’re not sure whether a call or a text is genuine, give us a call on 0345 08 08 500 to confirm.
We work hard to identify and protect you from fraud. If we believe someone has attempted to defraud your account, we’ll protect your money and contact you.
You’ll never be asked to move your money to another account ‘for safety’ – only a fraudster would ask this.
Our cards also have the added protection of MasterCard SecureCode. This software works to stop any fraudulent transactions on your account. It can stop suspicious activity, like unusual card payments or purchases.
If a purchase looks suspicious, we’ll ask for extra authorisation through the Mobile app or Online Banking – you will be asked to approve or decline the transaction.
If you don’t recognise a card transaction on your account, give us a call on 0345 08 08 509.
We do our best to protect you and provide you with comprehensive warnings for all payments to new beneficiaries. We strongly advise you take these into consideration before making any payment to protect yourself from scams.
If you do lose any funds, we’ll always do our best to recover them for you. If we’re unable to recover your full funds from the beneficiary bank, there may be scenarios where we may still be able to offer you a refund.
All claims will be investigated on their individual merits and we’ll consider multiple factors during our investigations such as:
Letting us know immediately about any loss of funds will enable us to give you the support you need. If you’ve lost any funds and need our help, give us a call on 0345 08 08 500.
Fraudulent emails can look genuine, but there are a few giveaways to look out for:
If an email or text link takes you to a log in page, close it – we’ll never send you a link to a secure page. If you get a suspicious email or text, mark it as spam, forward it to us at phishing@metrobank.plc.uk, then delete it.
Your cards can be vulnerable to fraud – so it pays to keep a close eye on them. Here are a few tips:
What is malware?
Malware is ‘malicious software’. Criminals will try to trick you into downloading it to your computer, phone or other device by asking you to open attachments or links in an email, text message or a post on social media. They might also ask you to download a fake app so that they can copy your login details.
Protect yourself from malware
Here’s some ways to help protect yourself from Malware:
Fraudsters can make a counterfeit card by cloning your card’s magnetic strip (sometimes referred to as skimming). This happens most often at bars, restaurants, petrol stations and cash machines. And most people don’t know it’s happened until their statement arrives.
How to prevent skimming:
This is called card-not-present fraud, and it’s the most common type in the UK.
How to protect your details:
Sometimes a card can be intercepted or stolen in the post or from your letterbox. There’s a bigger risk of this if you share a letterbox.
Find out how long it will take for your card to arrive and contact your card provider straight away if it doesn’t turn up. Don’t forget, with Metro Bank you can get your card printed in store on the spot – and because we’re open early ‘til late on weekdays and open on weekends, you can do this at a time that works for you.
If you believe your card has been stolen, you can report it by calling is on 0345 08 08 500, and you can cancel the card on your mobile App
A money mule is someone who helps criminals launder money. They’re often recruited by adverts that look like a legitimate job, but involves transferring money through your own account and keeping a cut as commission.
The money is likely to be the proceeds of crime, and is a criminal offence to hold it. If you’re suspected of money laundering, your accounts may be suspended and closed down. Your name might also be put on the fraud database.
How to avoid becoming a money mule:
A fraudster might call claiming to be your bank, or a person or company you trust. They can sound very professional and convincing, and can even copy phone numbers – so it could show up as us on your caller ID.
Fraudsters also send emails and texts to try to steal your bank details and money. If you receive a suspicious message – even if it looks like it’s from us – don’t respond. Send a screenshot to phishing@metrobank.plc.uk so we can investigate.
Fraudsters use social media to lure you in. Don’t buy into it – always buy or invest with a trusted seller who has verified reviews, and double check with your friends and family if they contact you from a ‘new’ account.
There are several types of investment scams. Scammers may be hard to spot and have a professional-looking website and documents. Only use reputable companies for your investments, don’t let people talk you into anything, check if an opportunity could be a scam by taking the FCA’s ScamSmart test and always use a cryptocurrency firm that is registered with the FCA.
An impersonation scam is when a criminal pretends to be from a trusted organisation or person to trick their victim into transferring money. If you think there’s something strange about how someone has contacted you, check in with them using a different form of contact before sending money. Remember, your bank will never get in touch out of the blue for personal information like PINs or passcodes, and neither will the police.
Action Fraud is the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. This is where you should report fraud.
Get Safe Online is the UK's leading awareness resource, and offers free online security advice to help protect people and businesses from fraud and other issues.
Take Five offer impartial advice to help prevent email, phone and online fraud. The national campaign focuses on criminals who impersonate trusted organisations and gives you tools to help fight fraud.