Investment and Recovery agent fraud

• The fraudster usually pressurises you into acting quickly and without thinking.
• The fraudster instructs you to make an urgent payment.
• The fraudster sends you a text message with a link to their fake website.
• The fraudster may promise an insurance or protection, saying your capital will be protected.
• The fraudster may promise a quick and profitable return with little or no risk.
• If you have been victim of investment fraud you maybe re-targeted by a ‘Recovery Agent’. These recovery agents can seem genuine and make promises that they have recovered your money, but they require an upfront administration fee to release the funds back to you.

Criminals may lead you to believe you are dealing with a genuine firm/financial adviser by using fraud tactics. Follow the below steps to help protect yourself from investment scams:

1. Reject unexpected investment offers made online, through social media, by email, text and telephone calls.
2. Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full banking password.
3. Be suspicious of unsolicited emails. Listen to your instincts – if something doesn’t feel right then stop and question it.
4. Be wary where the investment is being endorsed by celebrities – they may not know their name is attached to the advertisement.
5. POP-UP ads are not trustworthy and clicking them should be avoided.
6. Be wary of crypto-currency investment advertisements.
7. Don’t trust cold calls, text messages, letters, emails, or messages on social media from someone who says they can recover money you lost in a scam for a fee.
8. Search the investment firm/individual details on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) register and check:
   • If investment firm/individual is registered; all individuals and companies providing investment services within the UK must be listed on the FCA register.
   • What activities and services the firm/individual have permissions to provide; if the activity or service the firm/individual is offering is not listed this could be a scam.
   • The firm/individual’s contact details; if these differ to the contact details you have for the firm/individual this is likely a scam. You should always use the contact information for the investment firm/individual that is listed on the FCA register.
9. Consider getting impartial advice through a financial adviser. Please complete the FCA register checks listed above on your financial adviser.
10. Talk to your trusted friends and family about your potential investments.
11. Criminals will try to convince you into investing with a too good to be true offer.
12. Don’t be rushed into making an investment; genuine financial advisers and investment firms will not pressure you into making a rushed decision.

Remember, if it’s too good to be true it probably is.

To report fraud, you can phone us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the phone numbers below.

Phone from UK

Freephone: 0800 121 7790 (personal customers)

Freephone: 0800 032 1288 (Business On Line and Global Market Customers)

Phone from ROI

Freephone: 1800 946 764

Phone from outside UK and ROI

Not Freephone: 00353 567 757 007

If something looks like fraud on your account, we may phone you or send you a text or email to ask about it.

Report a suspicious email or text

If you think an email or text from Bank of Ireland UK looks suspicious, send it to 365security@boi.com

Lost or stolen card?

If you think your card has been lost or stolen, please phone us right away on these numbers.

We’ll cancel your card as soon as you tell us it’s missing and get a new card sent to the address we have for you in 5 to 7 working days.

See payments you did not make, paid from your account?

If you see payments you did not make, paid from your account, or anything that could be fraud please phone us right away on these numbers.

Shared your online login details?

If you have given your online banking details to someone, please phone us right away on these numbers.

1. Fraudsters are posing as legitimate firms and offering higher interest returns. People fall victim to these scams when they are researching products with better returns; such as investments, bonds & bitcoin, they come across the fraudulent company online and invest their money with them. These legitimate firms may appear to be endorsed by celebrities or high-profile names.
2. Fraudsters contact people offering an investment opportunity by telephone call, text message, email, letter or home visit. Often the fraudster will put you under pressure to commit to the investment opportunity quickly.
3. Fraudsters contact people who have already fallen victim to an investment scam, promising a recovery of their money for an upfront administration fee.

Look out for the below types of investment scams when investing.

• Clone Firm: A clone firm is when criminals clone the website of a genuine investment firm. They will reach out to potential victims by putting adverts on social media and search engines, they may also reach out to potential victims by phone call, email and text message, and provide the link to their clone website.
• Fake Firm: A fake firm is when a criminal sets up a fake investment firm; they will create a fake investment firm name, and may set up a fake website. They will reach out to potential victims through online adverts on social media and search engines, and by phone call, emails and text messages.
• Fake account manager/ financial adviser: A Fake account manager/ financial adviser is a criminal who will pose as a genuine financial adviser, they may inform you that they are independent, or work for a genuine investment firm.