Action Fraud
Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime. Fraudulent attacks, even if unsuccessful, should be reported to Action Fraud.
Fraudsters are working as hard as you are. Our content can help you stay ahead of them.
Report fraud
UK Dial: 0330 156 0155
Overseas Dial: +44 1606 566208
Suspicious email
Barclays will never send you unsolicited emails requesting personal information or your bank security details. If you receive a suspicious email, please send it on as an attachment to internetsecurity@barclays.co.uk and delete the email immediately.
Fraud is a criminal act to deceive you and take your cash – it's a transaction that you didn't know about or authorise. For example, fraudsters may use your details to open accounts under your name or your business.
A scam is where you’re tricked into making or authorising a payment to a criminal’s account. Scammers impersonate banks and official organisations using emails, phone calls and texts that look and sound genuine.
CEO fraud is on the rise with 432 reported CEO fraud cases in 20231. In attempts to persuade staff into making urgent payments or to transfer funds, criminals are posing as CEOs, as well as other members of staff within businesses such as system administrators or financial controllers. The requests are often made via email but can come via a phone call and are sometimes made when the real member of staff is out of the office. They may also ask for financial information such as reports, trade debtor lists and/or customer contact details for chasing payments.
It’s important to remember that even an apparently genuine email address may have been hacked, and that fraudsters may apply pressure by implying urgency as a means of persuading you to bypass controls around payments. Reference to the payment being ‘special’ or ‘secret’ should also ring alarm bells.
To help prevent CEO fraud follow these key steps:
For further information visit our dedicated CEO fraud page.
1https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/2023-05/Annual Fraud Report 2023_0.pdf^
Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime. Fraudulent attacks, even if unsuccessful, should be reported to Action Fraud.
The Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) delivers impactful and timely tips and awareness to reduce the prevalence of fraud and cyber crime.
We’ve partnered with the Fraud Advisory Panel (FAP) to launch the national campaign Love Business Hate Fraud to raise awareness of fraud and cyber crime against UK businesses.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides cyber security tips and best practice to support the most critical organisations in the UK.