How do I protect myself from APP fraud?

As APP fraud relies on the victim to authorise the payments to the scammer’s account, you have a lot of control in protecting yourself from it.

It’s important to only ever make payments to someone you trust completely. 

Scammers will impersonate organisations such as banks, HMRC, and the police, as well as family members and friends. They’re able to clone legitimate phone numbers and email addresses, so you must verify their identity before making any payments.

If someone is calling you and claiming to be from Tide, we will always verify the caller’s identity in your Tide app, and provide you with instructions on how to see this. If the caller cannot verify their identity in your Tide app, hang up immediately. A common scam involves the scammer claiming that your Tide account is under threat, and urging you to move your money to a ‘safe account’. Tide will never ask you to move your money to a ‘safe account’, so if you are asked to do this, it is a scam.

Scammers will use pressure in this way to coerce you into making hasty decisions. If they’re claiming to be from HMRC, they may say that you must make a payment immediately or face a penalty. Legitimate organisations will never use pressure against you, or force you to make immediate payments. They will always give you time to double check who’s contacting you.

If you’re not 100% sure you can trust who you’re talking to, end the conversation and contact the organisation yourself through their contact details to check anything you’ve been told.