Report a Fraud

To report fraud on your account:

In Person

Visit our branch at:

10 Great Castle Street London, W1W 8LP

Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding UK bank holidays)

By Post

Compliance Department

Guaranty Trust Bank (UK) Limited

10 Great Castle Street London, W1W 8LP

By email

Kindly send an email to [email protected]

On your email, provide the following information

  • Customer Full Name:
  • Customer Account Number:
  • Amount Defrauded:
  • Date Fraud Occurred:
  • Any other information

By Phone

Call us on +44 20 7947 9700 Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding UK bank holidays).

Ask to speak to your Relationship Manager or to one of our Customer Services team.

Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.

Reporting an authorised push payment (APP) fraud

Tell us right away if you believe you’ve made a payment under the direction of a fraudster.

  • You need to make a claim within 13 months of sending the payment, or the last payment if you sent more than one. To qualify to be treated as APP fraud, the payment must have been made on or after 7th October 2024.
  • Under the Payment Systems Regulator’s APP fraud reimbursement scheme, you can make a claim for any amount, and we’ll refund up to a maximum of £85,000.
  • You should also report this to Action Fraud and the police and allow us to share information with the police if necessary. (www.actionfraud.police.uk)

Is there an excess to pay?

We’ll apply a £100 excess from the total refund. This is a fixed amount for each claim you make.

For example, if your claim is for £1000, your refund will be £900.

If something prevents you from being able to protect yourself while making a payment, we won’t apply the excess.

When will you get a refund?

We’ll investigate the information you share and reimburse you within five working days.

But if we need more time to investigate, it may take up to 35 days.​

We won’t refund your money if you provide false information or pretend to be someone else.

Need to Know

What is Fraud?

Fraud is when someone steals your bank or personal details and uses them to authorise a transaction from your account without you knowing. Generally, a number of activities are considered to fall within the underlying predicate offences that constitute fraudulent activity.

What is a Scam?

A scam is when you’re tricked into making a payment to a scammer. Scammers impersonate people and organisations you trust, using emails, phone calls, and texts that seem genuine.

Within the financial services sector fraud and scams includes:

  • Theft: taking something that belongs to another with the intention of permanently depriving the owner.
  • Forgery: fraudulent alteration of any information, document or account.
  • Counterfeiting: Creating a fake or false version of documents.
  • Deception: dishonestly obtaining property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other person of that property.

The essential difference between this offence and theft is that, with fraud, the fraudster would have obtained the ownership of property or benefit with the consent of the owner through deception, whereas no such consent would be required or provided in theft.

  • Obtaining a pecuniary advantage: financial benefit obtained by deception
  • Misappropriation of funds or other assets,
  • False misrepresentation or Concealment of material facts i.e. the deliberate omission of facts to secure an unfair or unlawful gain.
  • False accounting: Impropriety in the handling or reporting of money or financial transactions. This will include destruction, defacing, concealing or falsification of accounts, or accounting record of document or provision of information for any purpose or usage of accounts or records, which are misleading, false or deceptive with a view to gain benefits or with intent to cause loss to another.
  • Collusion with another or conspiring with another to commit a fraudulent act.

Increasingly within the financial sector, fraud is perpetrated from outside the institution but with assistance from an employee. In respect of GT Bank, a fraud might be directed against the Bank itself or against funds or assets held by GTBank UK on behalf of a customer.

  • Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud is a growing problem as criminals increasingly use social engineering tactics to bypass bank security measures and convince customers to transfer funds
  • Money Muling is a form of money laundering where an individual, known as a money mule, allows their bank account to be used to transfer money on behalf of criminals.

Common Types of Fraud

Money Muling

Money muling involves the use of someone else’s bank account to transfer money received from a third party, often keeping some funds for itself or transfers it to another person. The ‘money mule’ (i.e. victim) often does not know what’s really happening and is manipulated into believing a cover story or lured by an offer of payments. The fraudsters’ intention with this activity is to conduct the laundering of funds to fund serious organised crimes.

Types of Money Muling

Money Mule Activity

Accessibility for fraudster

Transfer of money to the customer (account holder), or providing cash to pay into the customer’s account

Enables the transfer or withdrawal of cash to someone else

Request for online banking log-in details, or an activation code from the customer’s banking app

Provides the fraudster with access to the customer’s account to enable them to launder money

Purchasing of an item from the customer and asking to pay by bank transfer

Enables the fraudster to receive an item from a stolen account. The customer loses the money on discovering the fraud

APP Fraud

APP fraud is when someone is tricked into sending money under false pretences by bank transfer. This involves criminals using various tricks including social engineering in getting their victims into sending money to an account controlled by the criminal.

APP Fraud activity

Examples

Purchase scams: The target pays for a product or service in advance but does not receive it. The fraudster will convince the victim to use a manual bank transfer, rather than the platform’s secure payment portal.

Fake holiday listings. - Goods on merchant sites. - Second-hand goods on marketplace sites

Investment scams: Often use cold calling, SMS test/WhatsApp and emails to target a potential victim for payment to them or another person, usually on a time-limited offer basis.

Investment in: Shares, Property, Gold, Cryptocurrency.

Romance scams: The victim is persuaded to make a payment to a person they have met, often online through social media or dating websites, and with whom they believe they are in a relationship.

The 'partner in the relationship will request bank details of the customer from the Bank. A fake dating website collates customer bank details through its sign-up process.

Advance fees scams: Involves manipulating the victim to pay a fee to secure a much larger payment or prize.

Overseas (or UK) lottery award - requires transfer of funds to release the winnings. Competing customer survey/questionnaires - seeking their details to contact them about cash payment.

Invoice and mandate scams: Commonly impact corporate accounts as fraudsters pose as legitimate suppliers, convincing the targets business that payment details have changed, and they need to setup a new payment.

Fake companies from UK or non-UK jurisdictions. Stealing details from other Directors on Companies House and posing as the supplier/company.

Impersonation scams – police/bank staff: Often manipulate the victim into believing that they are already a victim of fraud, by pretending to be bank staff, police, other authorities, etc. The objective is for the victim to move funds into a supposedly safe account.

Emails from 'fake' banks and other providers requesting payment and completion of forms. Emails or calls from the Policy requesting payment details and passwords.

Impersonation scams – other: A scammer claims to represent an organisation such as a utility company, communications service provider or government department.

Emails or calls from 'fake' utility companies claiming for overdue payment for fraudulent bills. Emails or calls from the HMRC requesting payment details and passwords.

CEO fraud: A criminal poses as a senior person in the business in order to persuade staff to make an urgent payment. The request is often made via email, sometimes when the senior person is out of the office.

Emails from fraudsters positioning themselves as their CEO/senior management requires immediate payment to a specific account. Calls from 'assistance' or other staff of the CEO in another branch requesting payment.

Card Fraud

A fraudster gets access to your personal information or steals your debit card details. This lets them spend with your card. Learn more about these methods below:

Card machine fraud

Happens when a fraudster observes over your shoulder whilst using your card either while withdrawing cash or at a shop payment till inputting your PIN.

How it happens.

  • Usually, an individual will distract you at a cash point and as you look or move away from the cash machine, a criminal accomplice steals your cash or card or takes note of your PIN.
  • It can also happen if a criminal steals and replaces your card without you noticing.
  • If an ATM machine looks odd and has been attached with a skimming device which steal your card and PIN details.

How to protect yourself.

  • If the cash machine looks like it has been tampered with, do not use it.
  • Always shield your PIN at a cash point while entering it.
  • Never let anyone distract you at a cash point or shop payment till, stay focused.
  • If your card has been retained by a card machine, ensure you report it to your card provider immediately – if possible whilst at, or near, the machine.
  • If the card has been lost or stolen, please block the card using the GTUK MyCard App or call the Bank immediately on 0207 947 9700.

For more information about How to protect yourself from debit card fraud please read the leaflet provided with your card.

Remote purchase fraud

How it happens.

“Digital skimming” is a method criminals use to steal card data from customers when they shop online. In a typical digital skimming attack, criminals will add malicious code to the online retailer’s website which steals sensitive information including card details at the check-out stage. This information is then sent to a domain controlled by criminals. Using your stolen card details to make purchases online.

How to protect yourself.

  • If you are using an online retailer for the first time, always take time to research them before you give them any of your details. Be prepared to ask questions before making a payment.
  • Trust your instincts – if an offer looks too good to believe then it probably is. Be suspicious of prices that are unfeasibly low.
  • Only use retailers you trust, for example, ones you know or have been recommended to you.
  • If you are buying an item made by a major brand, you can often find a list of authorised sellers on their official website.
  • Review your card transactions on GTUK MyCard App or your Bank Statement, if you do not recognise any transactions, report this to the Bank immediately and freeze your card.

Card ID Theft

How it happens.

Criminals can use stolen or fake documents to open a card account in someone else’s name. This information will typically have been gathered through data loss, such as via data hacks or social engineering to compromise personal data.

Account takeover: here, criminals take over another person’s genuine card account.

How to protect yourself.

  • Destroy unwanted documents including bills, Bank Statements or post that is received in your name, preferably by using a shredder.
  • Review your card transactions on GTUK MyCard App or your Bank Statement, if you do not recognise any transactions, report this to the Bank immediately and freeze your card.
  • Provide as little personal information about yourself on social media as possible and only accept invitations from people you know.
  • Keep your personal information secure when using your card over the phone, on the internet, or in shops by ensuring that others cannot overhear you or see your information.

Card not received fraud

How it happens.

Criminals typically target properties with communal letterboxes, such as flats, student halls of residence and external mailboxes to commit this type of fraud.

People who do not get their mail redirected when they change address are also vulnerable to this type of fraud.

How to protect yourself.

  • If you are expecting a new card and it has not arrived, contact the us immediately.
  • Inform us immediately if you move home.
  • Be extra vigilant if you live in a property where other people may have access to your mail, such as a block of flats.