Warning as scammers set to target UK during the festive season, says Santander
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Santander UK is warning people to be extra vigilant of fraudsters during the holiday season. Customers reported almost £2m lost to bank transfer cons from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day last year. According to Santander UK, customers reported a loss of £1,999,444 trapped in authorised push payment (APP) scams between December 25, 2023, and January 1, 2024.
These figures include a single loss of over £600,000 lost to an investment con – marking the biggest financial hit for a bank in 2023. Fraudsters are eying the Christmas holidays as the prime time to pounce, exploiting the distraction of festivities.
Scam artists could entice those eager for a bargain in the Christmas sales or on the hunt for concert tickets in 2025. Last Christmas day saw victims reporting scam online sales, including Instagram clothing deals and fake football and Taylor Swift tickets swindled on Facebook Marketplace.
Impersonation cons are also a threat – targeting relaxed individuals at home during the seasonal break. Claims came flooding in on Boxing Day with reports of deceitful actors masquerading as banks reaching out to clients. And scammers did not take New Year’s Day off either as 2024 got under way, with customers reporting several advance fee scams, including a £1,700 payment made with the intention of securing a job offer with a “recruiter” via WhatsApp.
Data from Santander, covering the period from December 25, 2023 to January 1, 2024, reveals that a staggering 596 scams were reported by the bank's retail and business customers. On Christmas Day alone, customers alerted the bank to 10 scams, amounting to £3,971.
