Fraud vs Scams
What’s the difference?
Fraud typically involves unauthorised transactions or misuse of your personal or financial information without your knowledge or consent.
Scams, on the other hand, rely on deception. Fraudsters trick you into taking action, such as sending money or sharing sensitive details, by posing as a trusted person or organisation. You believe the transaction is legitimate, but it’s based on false pretenses.
Types of Fraud
Card Fraud
Card fraud happens when someone uses your card or card details without your permission to make purchases, withdraw cash, or gain financial benefits. Criminals often steal sensitive information like your card number, expiry date, CVV, or PIN through tactics such as skimming, phishing, data breaches, or even physical theft.
There are two main types of card fraud:
Card-Present Fraud: When a stolen or cloned card is used at a physical payment terminal.
Card-Not-Present Fraud: When stolen card details are used for online or phone transactions.
How can you protect yourself:
Never share your card details or PIN with anyone.
Use secure websites for online shopping (look for “https” and a padlock symbol).
Report lost or stolen cards immediately.
Account Takeover
Account Takeover is a type of cybercrime where fraudsters gain unauthorised access to your online accounts by stealing your login details. Once inside, they can pose as you to:
Steal money or transfer funds from your bank accounts
Make fraudulent purchases
Access and misuse your personal information
Send phishing emails from your trusted account to trick others
How does it happen?
Criminals often use tactics like phishing, malware, or data breaches to capture your credentials and impersonate you online.
How can you protect yourself:
Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication
Never share your online banking username of password
Be cautious of suspicious emails or links
Monitor your accounts regularly for unusual activity
Report any suspicious behavior immediately
Your security matters, stay alert and safeguard your accounts.
Authorised Push Payment (APP)
Authorised Push Payment fraud is a scam where criminals trick you into sending money from your bank account to theirs. They often pose as a trusted person or company and create a sense of urgency, such as a fake emergency or time-sensitive request to convince you to make the payment yourself.
Unlike traditional fraud, where money is stolen without your knowledge, APP fraud involves you authorising the payment. This makes it much harder to reverse once the transfer is complete.
How can you protect yourself:
Always verify payment requests, especially if they seem urgent.
Contact the person or company directly using known contact details, not those provided in the message.
Be cautious of unexpected requests for large sums or changes in payment details.
If something feels suspicious, stop and check before sending money.
Your awareness is the best defense against APP fraud. If you think you’ve been targeted, report it immediately.
Types of Scams
Romance Scams
These scams happen when fraudsters create fake online relationships to earn your trust. They often use emotional manipulation, made-up stories, and a sense of urgency, such as claiming an emergency, to pressure victims into sending money or sharing personal details.
How to protect yourself:
Be cautious of people who ask for money online, especially if you’ve never met in person.
Verify stories before acting, don’t rush into decisions.
Don’t commit – if you have never met someone in person do not send them money or allow them access to your accounts/devices.
If someone asks you to keep the relationship a secret be suspicious. They may be trying to isolate you.
Cancelled plans – fraudsters make plans to meet in person, before cancelling at the last minute due to a fake emergency. This can create a false sense of closeness while keeping distance between you.
Report suspicious profiles or messages immediately.
Phishing
Phishing is a common scam where fraudsters trick you into sharing personal or financial information by pretending to be a trusted source such as your bank, a delivery company, or even a colleague. These messages often look genuine and may create a sense of urgency, like claiming your account will be locked or a payment is overdue.
How to protect yourself:
Don’t click on links or download attachments from unexpected emails or texts.
Verify requests by contacting the organisation directly using official contact details.
Look for signs of phishing: poor grammar, suspicious links, or urgent demands.
Your caution is the best defense against phishing attacks.
Scam Calls
Scam calls are a common way fraudsters try to steal your money or personal information. They often pretend to be from trusted organisations such as your bank or a government agency and may even spoof caller IDs to look genuine.
These callers create a sense of urgency, pressuring you to act quickly. They might ask for passwords, one-time security codes, or even request you to transfer money.
How to protect yourself:
Protect your personal information, never share your online banking username, passwords or one time passwords over the phone.
Verify the caller, if you are unsure about a call, hang up and call using a trusted number, such as one from our official website.
Be cautious of urgent requests, if the caller rushes you into providing personal or payment information—take time to verify before acting, it could be a scam.
If you suspect a scam call, report it immediately.
Red Flags
Emails & Text Messages
Does the message include a link?
Are there any spelling or grammar mistakes?
Calls
Are they asking for personal details?
Are they asking for urgent payment?
Are they threatening to close your account?
Did you expect to be contacted?
We will never contact you unexpectedly to ask you to transfer your money.
It is ok to hang up on a call.
Report this to us.
- Pause – Before acting on any request (especially involving money or personal details), pause.
- Verify – Ask yourself: Is this genuine? Verify the source by contacting the company or person directly using official contact details.
- Stay Safe – If you suspect a scam, don’t share information and report it immediately to the Bank or relevant authority.
Top Tips to Stay Safe
- Trust Your Instincts – Treat unexpected calls, texts and emails with caution. Allow yourself a moment to pause and thoughtfully review. Always call back on a number you trust.
- Stay Informed, Stay Ahead – Scammers evolve, but so can you. Make sure to regularly update yourself on common scams through trusted sources.
- Double-Check Before You Click – Phishing emails and fake websites are designed to trick you. Always verify links, email addresses and attachments. If you’re not sure, we are here to help.
- Use Strong, Unique Passwords – Try and aim for at least 6-12 characters, with a mix of upper and lower case, numbers and symbols. This will make it harder for scammers to guess your passwords.
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
Get in touch
Call us at +350(200)13333 or email us at notify@gibintbank.gi. You’ll need to share details of the scam, the account details you sent money to, and any contact details you have.
We’ll investigate
We may contact you for more details or supporting evidence and give you updates regarding the status of your report.
Speak to us today
Fraud Team Available: 5 days a week Monday to Friday 9am-5pm +350(200)13333.
Lost/stolen card line +350(200)13911 available 24/7.
Report a suspicious message/email/text to notify@gibintbank.gi. This is a non-reply email.
