Pause when a message asks you to act urgently, disclose credentials or change payment details. A familiar name, convincing document or correct account information does not prove that a communication is genuine. Verify the request through a channel you already trust before taking action.
Never disclose your password, PIN or one-time authentication code to someone by phone, email or messaging. Do not approve a sign-in prompt you did not initiate. A request to move funds to a “safe account” should be treated as suspicious and checked independently.
If you have already acted
Stop further communication with the suspected sender. Contact your relationship team immediately using previously verified details, explain what occurred and ask for urgent review of access and any affected payment. Do not send another payment to correct the first without confirmed instructions from the verified team.
If you gave someone control of your device, stop using it for financial access and seek trusted technical assistance. Preserve relevant messages and instructions. Report the incident to the appropriate local authorities where necessary; a report does not itself guarantee recovery of funds.
Changed beneficiary details
Independently verify changes with the intended recipient using a contact established before the change request. Do not call a number supplied only in the suspicious email. Check the account name, identifiers, currency and reason for the payment before submitting an instruction.
Property purchases and business completions can create time pressure. Agree verification steps in advance and resist attempts to bypass them. If a payment is already in progress, use its reference when requesting assistance and avoid duplicate instructions.
Impersonation and investment offers
Check a provider's exact legal identity and relevant permissions in official registers. Compare contact details independently. A copied registration number, office address or logo can be used by an unrelated sender. Links to genuine public information do not authenticate the person making an offer.
Be cautious about guaranteed returns, secret opportunities, fees demanded to release funds and pressure to keep an arrangement confidential. An investment thesis or an impressive document does not establish that money will reach the intended recipient.
Document verification
Use the secure link or QR code supplied with a document and inspect the destination domain. A verification result should be read for the reference and current status shown. It does not validate an unrelated request to pay, prove another person's identity or replace the terms of the underlying document.
If a code is missing, obtain a fresh document through the verified relationship channel. Do not publish the complete verification link: it contains an access code. The document verification page provides further guidance.
Keep access private
Use a unique password and protect the device used for banking. Establish separate authorised access for representatives. Review unexpected changes to contact details or instructions through the relationship team. A password change alone may not resolve an instruction already submitted.
Information to preserve
- When and how the communication arrived.
- The sender details, destination links and original messages.
- Any payment reference and the time of the instruction.
- What information was disclosed or access was granted.
- The steps already taken to contain the incident.
Supply this information through the secure channel agreed with the verified team. Do not forward malicious links broadly or include credentials in the report. If your usual contact is unavailable, use an alternative already recorded in your relationship documents rather than contact information supplied by the suspected sender.
Content reviewed 14 September 2026