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Carer fraud
There are many ways to help protect your loved ones from scams.
Follow our guide to find out how you can keep them safe.
We all have people we care about. At times, they may need help to look after their money or to get out and about.
Sadly, this could leave them open to fraudsters or even somebody closer to home.
Tips to avoid carer fraud
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To help with day-to-day chores, like shopping or banking, try to get a few people you and your loved one trust.
They could be family or friends, or you could hire a carer. If you share responsibility it stops one person from having total control of a person’s money or life.
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Talk to your loved one about keeping their money and bank account details safe. The following tips can prevent any issues of trust with a carer or anyone who helps.
- Don't write bank details down - Tell your loved one not to write down their PIN, password or other banking details. This will stop anyone else from using them.
- Put cash in the bank - It’s safer to keep most of their cash in the bank and not in the house.
- Make sure bills are paid - Check receipts and know what needs to be paid and when.
- Keep an eye on cheques - If they have a cheque book, make sure it's kept safe and all the cheques are counted.
Your loved one should be the only person to use their bank account, Internet Banking and bank card. If it's a joint account then both holders should have their own user ID and password.
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You can get straight forward, impartial advice on how to avoid scams from Take Five.
You can report a crime or get general advice from Action Fraud. They help banks and other companies combat fraud.
They offer advice on how to keep yourself and your devices safe from fraud.
UK Finance is there to support customers and to help make sure it's safe to bank.
Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)
The PRA is part of the Bank of England. Their role is to make sure banks act safely and reduce the chance of them losing money.
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
The FCA is there to make sure banks work well so customers are protected and get a fair deal.
CIFAS can help to protect your identity. They can stop fraudsters from using your details to apply for things in your name.
This is a government site that gives advice on how to stay safe online.
This is part of the FCA site. You can use it to check on an investment or pension deals to help you avoid scams.
Bank of Scotland does not control the content of any of the websites linked to on this page.