Consumer experts have warned of scams doing the rounds, with fraudsters posing as people's banks. Customers of NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds are among those urged to be vigilant.
Which? Issues Scam Warning After Google Outage
Earlier in the month, there was a Google outage, which consumer group Which? said scammers used the opportunity to try to defraud people out of their personal details and money. In a scam update on October 20, it warned people to "always be cautious of acting on any request to share personal or financial details, or account information".
It then advised recipients to "contact the relevant organisation by another means". "You can contact your bank by using the number found on the back of your card, or by dialling 159 to be connected to its fraud team," Which? adds. While the Google outage has been resolved, it left many people vulnerable to scams as customers were unable to access their funds.
Rise in Impersonation Scams
As a rule, bank customers, such as those who bank with Lloyds, NatWest and Barclays, are urged to be aware of what a scam text may look like, and to be cautious not to follow any links or share personal information. Over the summer, it was reported that impersonation scams such as these were on the rise.
At the time, figures from Lloyds Bank show that fraudsters posing as representatives of trusted organisations, including banks, stole 10% more from its customers in the year to the end of June 2026 than in the previous 12 months. Earlier this year, Santander said more than £3m had been stolen from its customers so far in 2026.
Specific Warnings for NatWest and Barclays Customers
Specific warnings have been issued to customers of NatWest and Barclays in recent weeks and months. On October 7, Which? updated its latest scam warnings to include an email circulating that claims to be from NatWest. The message instructs people to take action to ensure their information is up to date, a common request from scammers. The email includes a malicious link that will lead to a site masquerading as NatWest, and your personal details will be vulnerable if you enter them as asked.
In September, a warning had been issued by the consumer group over a scam text in which fraudsters claimed to be from Barclays. The message tells recipients that a direct debit has been set up on your account, and urges them to call a number to cancel this payment, which will connect them to a fraudster who aims to steal their personal information.
People receiving any scam texts can report them by forwarding them to 7726. Barclays points out that only criminals will act with a sense of urgency and panic in an attempt to rush and pressure you.
