09 March 2023 , 14:23
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New research has revealed the five banks which saw the highest number of customers looking to report fraud or scams.
The study, conducted by the cyber security company VPN Overview, looked into the number of times banks were mentioned when people were searching for fraud support on Google.
The company analysed Google search data for multiple terms including "fraud number", "fraud helpline" and "bank fraud line".
It then combined these to determine which banks had the highest number of customers experiencing scams over the course of one month.
Santander was placed at the top of the list with a total search volume of 11,690 for fraud terms.
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VPN Overview found the term "Santander fraud line" had the highest number of searches of each term analysed.
One of the big four banks took second place with NatWest having a figure of 11,480 search volumes.
The search for "NatWest fraud team number" has the second highest number of searches of 2,900 compared to the other terms in the study.
Third on the list was one of the largest banks in the UK, Barclays which gathered a total of 9,450 for fraud-related searches.
Of all the terms analysed, "Barclays fraud" and "Barclays fraud number" came joint third with a search volume of 2,400 for each term.
Another big four member took fourth place with HSBC having a search volume of 5,540.
Finally, Halifax came in at the end with a total search volume for fraud-related terms of 4,620.
VPN Overview says a contributing factor to the number of search terms is likely due to the closures of the bank's physical branches and are forced to look for help online.
The cyber security group noted that Natwest planned to close 43 branches this year and Halifax plans to close 18.
It also said with the "abundance" of phishing scams currently in circulation looking to steal bank details and other personal information, the number of victims will likely increase.
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A spokesperson from VPN Overview said: "While the study reflects that customers of these particular banks are more likely to be a victim of fraud, it’s crucial for everyone to be wary of these dangerous scams – regardless of whether their bank is listed in the top five."
Top five banks in the UK where customers are most at risk of fraud
- Santander - fraud search volume - 11,690
- Natwest - fraud search volume - 11,480
- Barclays - fraud search volume - 9,450
- HSBC - fraud search volume - 5,540
- Halifax - fraud search volume - 4,620
A NatWest spokesperson said: “This study doesn’t indicate how likely NatWest customers are to become a victim of fraud and any inference otherwise is false and misleading.
"We encourage customers to get in touch with us to report suspicious activity so we can help keep them safe. A call to our fraud team for advice and information does not mean that a fraud has taken place.”
An HSBC spokesperson said: "This is quite an unscientific study and will not accurately reflect actual levels of fraud reports seen by any provider.
"Protecting customers from scams is a priority for us. While we have an experienced team looking for signs of fraud, people can also help protect themselves by taking note of fraud warnings when making payments, and keeping abreast of the latest scam warnings on our website or through our new Fraud and Cyber Awareness app."
A UK Finance spokesperson has said: “The methodology used by VPN Overview does not reflect actual fraud levels. We contacted VPN Overview and they have acknowledged the data in their press release is misleading and are updating it.
“The banking and finance industry’s focus is always on stopping fraud from happening in the first place and the sector invests billions in efforts to keep customers safe.
"The industry also undertakes a lot of activity to educate customers on how best to protect themselves from fraud, including through the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign”