At Stafford Building Society, we are committed to helping you protect your identity and money from fraud.

If you suspect you have been a victim of fraud you should report your concerns to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (24-hour Hotline).

If you suspect the security on your account has been compromised, please you call us as soon as possible on 01785 223212 or call into the Branch. If we need to investigate a transaction on your account, we shall expect you to co-operate with us in our investigations. We may give the police or any other prosecuting authority any information we consider relevant.

If you have been a victim of fraud in the past, or have lost documents containing sensitive or personal information, you may wish to take out Protective Registration with CIFAS – This is an additional tool to enhance your protection. This places a warning flag against your personal details in the National Fraud Database. The alerts organisations that you have been a victim of fraud so that extra precautions can be taken with your accounts.

Useful Links:

Identity Fraud

Identity crime can take the form of either identity theft or identity fraud. Identity theft is when your personal details are stolen. Identity fraud is when those stolen details are used for the criminal’s own personal gain to commit fraud.

A person’s identity is one of their most valuable assets. Without it, many of the things we take for granted on a day to day basis would be impossible to do or obtain. Savings accounts, passports, driving licences, mortgages, insurance, mobile phone contracts, and social security benefits – all of these, and many more – depend on being able to prove who you are.

We hope that you find the following helpful ideas useful to enable you to do the same at home.

Personal Information:

  • When disposing of bank statements, utility bills and receipts containing any of your personal details, bank or credit card details always try to shred and destroy before disposing of them;
  • Keep your bank/credit cards, building society passbooks, passport and driving licence or any other documents containing your personal details in a secure place;
  • Do not allow anyone else to use your bank or credit card and do not give your pin number, password or security information to anyone else;
  • Be cautious if someone calls you unexpectedly and asks for any personal details. If in doubt call the organisation they represent back on a number that you know to be correct (from a bank statement, letterhead or). Never call the organisation on the number the caller gives you;
  • Do not keep your chequebook and bank/credit cards together;
  • Check your credit report periodically to make sure no one else is obtaining credit using your identity; and
  • Install software that protects your computer from viruses and unwanted programs and make sure it is kept current. If you are unsure, seek the help of a computer professional.

Your Society Accounts:

  • Report any lost or stolen passbooks to us immediately on 01785 223212 or call into the branch so that we can take the necessary steps to protect your account;
  • If you wish to check a Society call is genuine, tell the caller you will call them back using a telephone number you know is correct, not a number they may give to you;
  • Regularly check your account for any suspicious or unrecognised transactions;
  • Always tell us if you change your name, address, telephone number or email address as soon as possible, so that we can ensure our records are kept up to date. We may need to contact you urgently if we have a concern about a transaction on your account; and
  • Never include your full personal details in an email to us or anyone else.

Password hints and tips:

There are a number of steps you can take to protect your personal information against fraud. Stronger and more complex passwords will make your online usage harder to access. There are multiple ideas about what constitutes a good password.

Here are our top five tips for creating a strong password:

  • Use a mixture of letters, cases, numbers and symbols;
  • Aim to use different passwords for different accounts. Don’t just alternate between different ones;
  • Don’t have a password that can be easily guessed. This might include your birthday, favourite sports team, family names or words in the dictionary;
  • Try using the first letters of a phrase to create your password. For example, ‘our Railway Building Society is based in the West Midlands’ would give you ‘oRBSibitWM’;
  • Never keep a note of your passwords or PINs somewhere where they could be lost or stolen such as in your wallet or on your personal device.

Authorised Push Payment (APP) Fraud:

From 7 October 2024 new rules are being introduced about reimbursing victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams.  

What is an APP scam?

APP scams happen when someone tricks you into sending money or sharing personal details under false pretences. Often fraudsters will pretend to be from well-known businesses or government organisations. They might text, email, or phone you claiming you owe them money or are due a refund and then encourage you to transfer money to a supposedly safe account. Often they can pressure you to act before you’ve had time to think.  

What do the new rules mean for me?  

From 7 October 2024, all banks and building societies must have processes in place to ensure that any claims of APP scams are fully investigated. The new rules will offer greater protection to most victims of this type of fraud.  

You could be reimbursed up to a maximum of £85,000 if:  

  • You are an individual, a micro-enterprise (with under 10 employees) or a small charity.  
  • Your payment was made using Faster Payments or CHAPS in the UK and sent to a UK account that can send or receive these type of payments.
  • Your payment was made on or after 7 October 2024. 
  • You have made a claim within 13 months of the final payment made to a fraudster.  
  • You may have to pay an excess of up to £100 per claim, except in circumstances where we assess you as being vulnerable. We will consider each claim on a case-by-case basis and any excess will be subtracted from the reimbursement amount.  

When might I not be eligible for a reimbursement?  

There are circumstances where you will not be eligible for reimbursement. This includes:  

  • Payments that take place across other payment systems (that are not a Faster Payment or CHAPS) for example BACS, cheques, cash transactions.  
  • Payments made to another account that you control, such as your nominated bank account.  
  • Civil disputes: for example, if you have bought something that hasn’t turned out as expected.  
  • Where payments are sent or received by credit unions, municipal banks, and national savings banks.  
  • Claims made before 7 October 2024 or more than 13 months after the final payment to the fraudster.   
  • First party fraud: this is where you have not authorised a payment from your account.  
  • Any claims where you were involved in committing the fraud.  
  • Gross negligence on the part of the Consumer.  
  • International payments are also not included.  
  • The new rules are designed to protect innocent victims of crime. There is, however, an expectation that you take common-sense precautions when sending money.  

 How can I protect myself?

Where we believe that a scam could be taking place, we would always seek to intervene, and we would expect our customers to take steps to protect themselves.  

The Regulator recommends the following:  

  • Pay attention to any warnings or guidance given by us before you make your payment; for example, if we ask you to check the identity of the recipient.  
  • Report the suspected scam as soon as you become aware of it.  
  • Share all the necessary information with the team that investigates your claim.  
  • Report the fraud to the police or allow us to do so on your behalf.  

What do I do if I am a victim of an APP scam?  

If one of your accounts with us has been affected, contact us immediately on 01785 223212 or pop into our Branch. Once you have reported it to us, we will fully investigate, including potentially sharing your information with the receiving institution and advise you of the next steps and progress.  

We will request detailed information from you to assess any claim; without this, reimbursement is likely to be refused.   

It is likely that we may also seek your agreement to report the scam to the police or other authority.