Fraudsters use a variety of techniques to trick people into sharing sensitive information or making payments. Knowing how these schemes work is the first step to protecting yourself. Below is an overview of the most common types you may encounter.<\/p>\n
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In some organized fraud schemes, fake job offers are posted online advertising a job to test bank accounts. These accounts are subsequently misused for money laundering purposes. Neither Accountable nor Swan offers \u201cdemo accounts\u201d or product testing jobs. If you have seen a job offer like this, consider reporting it to the appropriate authority.<\/p>\n
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Phishing is a fraudulent attempt made via email<\/b> to steal your personal information or login credentials. The fraudster impersonates a trusted organisation \u2014 such as a bank, payment provider, or government agency \u2014 and tricks you into clicking a malicious link or filling in a fake form.<\/p>\n
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How to recognize it:<\/b><\/p>\n Unexpected emails asking you to verify your account or confirm a payment<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Links that look similar to official websites but have slight differences (e.g. acc0untable.eu)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A sense of urgency: “Your account will be blocked within 24 hours”<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n This scheme combines data theft with phone-based social engineering, and is currently on the rise during the summer holiday period. It works in four steps:<\/p>\n Data theft: Fraudsters get card details or login information from fake emails or websites (often copying well-known brands like Amazon or Relais Colis), from data leaks, or by buying stolen data online.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Small test payments: They use this data to make one or two small payments, small enough that no extra security check is needed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The phone call: They call and pretend to work for Accountable or Swan. They point to those small payments and say they look “suspicious,” then ask for your one-time verification code (OTP).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The theft: They use that code to add the card to their own digital wallet (such as Apple Pay or Google Pay), then spend the money.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n How to spot it: The text message with the code will say it’s for adding a card to a wallet, not for blocking a payment.<\/p>\n \n \u26a0\ufe0f Important:<\/p>\n Passwords and OTPs are strictly confidential. No one from Swan or Accountable will ever ask for them, by phone, email, or any other channel.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Never say a security code out loud. Not to a person, not to an automated system. If someone asks for a code over the phone, it’s a scam. Hang up immediately.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Only type codes directly into the app or payment screen. Codes should never be read aloud, sent by text, or shared in any other way, even with someone claiming to be from Accountable or Swan support.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Smishing is phishing carried out via SMS text message<\/b>. You may receive a text claiming to be from your bank, a delivery company, or a government body, asking you to click a link or call a number.<\/p>\n \n How to recognise it:<\/b><\/p>\n Unexpected text messages with links asking you to log in or confirm details<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Messages claiming a package is on hold or a payment failed<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Short sender numbers or numbers you don’t recognise<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \n Vishing is phishing carried out via phone call or voicemail<\/b>. The caller pretends to be from a bank, technical support, or a government agency to extract sensitive information or pressure you into making a transfer. Caller ID can be spoofed to display a legitimate number.<\/p>\n \n How to recognise it:<\/b><\/p>\n Unexpected calls claiming there is suspicious activity on your account<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Someone asking for your passcode, PIN, or full card number over the phone<\/p>\n<\/li>\n High pressure to act immediately or transfer funds urgently<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \u26a0\ufe0f Important:<\/b> Accountable and Swan will never<\/b> ask for your passcode, PIN, or full card details over the phone or by email. If someone does, hang up and contact us immediately.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n \n In APP fraud, you are manipulated into voluntarily making a payment<\/b> to a fraudster’s account. The scammer typically impersonates a supplier, landlord, or even your bank, and provides fake account details for a legitimate-looking payment.<\/p>\n \n How to recognise it:<\/b><\/p>\n A contact you trust suddenly sends you new payment details by email or message<\/p>\n<\/li>\n You’re asked to make an urgent or one-off payment to a new account<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Someone posing as your bank asks you to move funds to a “safe account”<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \n Identity fraud occurs when someone uses your personal data<\/b> \u2014 such as your name, address, or identification documents \u2014 to open accounts, take out credit, or make purchases in your name without your knowledge.<\/p>\n \n How to recognize it:<\/b><\/p>\n Unexpected account statements, bills, or credit agreements you don’t recognise<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Being refused credit for no apparent reason<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Unfamiliar transactions appearing on your account<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Fraudsters can pose as our advisors, either by calling you directly or by setting up fake phone numbers that look like ours. They can be very convincing. At some point, they’ll transfer you to an “automated verification step” and ask you to say your login credentials out loud. <\/p>\n \n How to recognize it:<\/b><\/p>\n We don’t ask for verification. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n We do not use an advisor.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \n This type of fraud involves fake online shops or listings<\/b> where goods are never delivered after payment, or where counterfeit items are sent instead. It often occurs on social media marketplaces or fake websites.<\/p>\n \n How to recognise it:<\/b><\/p>\n Prices that seem too good to be true<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Sellers who only accept bank transfers and refuse secure payment methods<\/p>\n<\/li>\n No verifiable contact details or physical address for the seller<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Fraud using stolen card details and OTP codes<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Smishing<\/h1>\n
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Vishing<\/h1>\n
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\n \n Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud<\/h1>\n
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Identity fraud<\/h1>\n
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Caller fraud – posing as advisors <\/b><\/h1>\n
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Online purchase fraud<\/h1>\n
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