NatWest warned on Twitter that scammers often try to trick people into believing they are owed a refund. The criminals call people pretending to be from the bank and encourage them to authorize a payment in the app.
The bank said in its message: “You’re probably used to approving payments through your app by now.
“But you should know scammers try to get around it and trick people into approving payments they haven’t made by telling them it’s a refund.
“These scammers call people pretending to be from the bank, tell them to authorize a refund in the app, lie about why the app says they authorize a payment, and steal people’s money. “
The tweet included a video from the bank with more information, urging customers to be on the lookout for signs of a “rotten” refund offer.
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NatWest also said in the alert: “If you get a call out of the blue about a refund, it’s probably a scam.
“Especially when they’re talking about approving it through the app. Refunds are automatically sent to your account – so you never have to approve them with the app before you get the money.”
Several people have responded to the Twitter thread to share their experiences of being targeted by cold caller scammers.
User @corbettcornell2 said: “I’ve had calls from them. You become abusive. Then their “manager” continues the game the next day.
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Another Twitter user, @LynnWil67409089, said in response to the warning: “I’ve been scammed out of £500 for a deposit on a car from Fb Marketplace. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to fall for this.”
The bank responded and advised them to contact NatWest’s fraud team if they needed assistance.
Scammers are taking advantage of the cost of living crisis to send fake text messages to trick you into giving up your money.
RegCarCheck’s James Baker previously told Express.co.uk: “Scammers are taking advantage of the fear and confusion in the UK by sending out text messages offering financial help.
“Often the official-looking text will ask you to follow the link, answer a few questions, and provide your bank details to receive financial assistance.
“The scammers will then fraudulently withdraw money from the account. Any financial help from the government that contributes to the cost of your energy bill requires no action and is automatically applied to your bill.”
Another common SMS scam involves scammers sending messages pretending to be from the DVLA and offering a road tax refund.
All refunds from the DVLA are automatically generated, so a person never has to submit information to receive a refund.
