How to deal with scam calls on your mobile phone
Fraudsters are becoming more inventive as the world goes online. Nicole García Mérida explains how to combat them.


A fortnight ago I received a text from an unknown number saying I had a parcel from Hermes with an outstanding delivery fee. If I didn’t pay through the Hermes link in the text, my parcel would be returned to the sender. That text was a scam.
The trade association for the banking and financial services sector, UK Finance, notes in its half-year report for 2021 that criminals stole a total of £753.9m, a 30% increase compared to the same period in 2020. Authorised push payment (APP) fraud, where criminals trick customers into authorising a payment to them using tactics such as phone calls, text messages and emails, fake websites and social media posts, saw an increase of 71%. APP is a type of impersonation scam, where criminals pretend to be someone else, in these cases legitimate firms such as Royal Mail or institutions such as the NHS.
It’s not only couriers. Fraudsters will also pretend to be from your bank, often claiming they need to protect an account from fraud, or the police, insisting a fine be paid. Sometimes crooks will claim to represent a fraud prevention service. This type of heist is growing rapidly as fraudsters exploit our lifestyle changes. Online shopping and payments have all soared in the pandemic.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Two things helped me identify my text as fraudulent. First, the phone number was not official. Genuine companies can show up on your phone not as a number but as a name. A company’s real name will be officially registered and thus legitimate, but scammers often create convincing names that closely resemble the real one: dpdIreland instead of DPD, for instance. If you are contacted by a mobile number, check the company’s website to find out what their official contact number is. Websites should also make clear how the firm will contact you.
Second, the website address it was encouraging me to click on was different from the real Hermes website (hermes.tracking as opposed to the real myhermes.co.uk). A Google search will reveal a company’s true address. Bear in mind too that only criminals will pressure you to act quickly. If you’re being badgered on the phone, hang up.
If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank at once. The faster you report a scam, the more likely it is that your bank will be able to either stop the transaction or recover the money. Anti-fraud measures used by banks stopped £32m of fraud between January and June 2021.
Meanwhile, note that Stop Scams UK and the Global Cyber Alliance have launched the 159 pilot scheme, a new fraud hotline that will let you check whether a call from your bank is genuine. You can call 159 if someone contacts you saying they’re from your bank, even if you don’t have reason to believe the call is suspicious. It is running as a pilot scheme for a year. Participating banks are Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander and Starling Bank.
And remember the golden rule: withholding personal information until you have checked names or numbers through a source you know is legitimate is the best way to avoid a scam.
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Nic studied for a BA in journalism at Cardiff University, and has an MA in magazine journalism from City University. She has previously worked for MoneyWeek.
-
Is Nvidia overvalued?
Nvidia is the world’s largest company and the first ever to be worth over $4 trillion. But despite being the undisputed leader in artificial intelligence, can it justify this valuation?
-
Millions of state pension records ‘set to be deleted’ – putting thousands at risk of never getting their money
Thousands of families could miss out on money owed to them if the government deletes historic state pension records.
-
'Gen Z is facing an AI jobs bloodbath'
Opinion It has always been tough to get your first job, but this year, it's proving tougher than ever. AI is to blame, says Matthew Lynn
-
Beazley: a compelling specialist insurer
The insurer Beazley is unusually profitable at present, and that looks set to continue. The stock is also a valuable portfolio diversifier, says Jamie Ward
-
Is Britain heading for a big debt crisis?
Opinion Things are not yet as bad as some reports have claimed. But they sure aren’t rosy either, says Julian Jessop
-
What is the Enterprise Investment Scheme and should you have one?
The Enterprise Investment Scheme is tax-efficient and potentially lucrative. Taking a chance on the scheme could trim your family’s IHT bill, says David Prosser
-
What are wealth taxes and would they work in Britain?
The Treasury is short of cash and mulling over how it can get its hands on more money to plug the gap. Could wealth taxes do the trick?
-
Self-employed? Start saving for your pension now
Britons who are self-employed have neglected to build up their retirement fund. They must act now
-
Why is Britain's industrial base crumbling?
Opinion More and more factories in the UK are closing, and the government doesn’t seem to care. What’s going on?
-
Scotland's former first minister Nicola Sturgeon leaves behind a toxic legacy
On the left, Nicola Sturgeon is seen as something of a political hero. That makes sense… but only if you exclude her actual record in office