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Fraud and security centre

Fraud is on the rise, with more and more scams coming to light each day. So it is vital you know the best ways to protect yourself and how to report suspicious activity.

Report fraud to Novuna Personal Finance

If you think you have been targeted by a fraudster, please report it to us straightaway:

Our team will investigate the incident as soon as possible, updating you along the way with any developments.

Protect yourself from fraud

It can be tricky to spot fraud. But, by knowing the best ways to protect yourself, you can stay one step ahead of the scammers.

  • Never give away your personal information, such as account details or passwords

  • Don’t click links or open attachments from an unexpected email or text

  • Don’t move money from one account to another – banks or other financial services organisations will not ask you to do this

  • Double check legitimacy by contacting the company or individual directly, using information you know to be correct

  • Never make any upfront payments in return for a loan

  • Be extremely wary of any unsolicited texts, messages, emails or calls

  • Fraudsters will often try and pressure you to make a quick decision – don’t be afraid to take your time and challenge any requests you’re not sure about

  • If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank and report it to Action Fraud straightaway

Loan-related scams are on the rise

In the first half of 2023, criminals stole a total of £580 million through fraud and scams. Fraudsters are always looking for new ways to trick victims into handing over their details or their cash.

Knowing popular tricks and techniques used by fraudsters could prevent you from falling for a scam.

  • Credit score scams: criminals will trick you into handing over your login details for your credit score account, allowing them to make financial applications on your behalf. They’ll take the money and leave you paying the debt.
  • Loan fee fraud: you’ll be asked to pay an upfront fee before receiving the loan funds (usually by someone purporting to be from a reputable bank or lender). Once the fee’s paid, you won’t ever receive the money you asked to borrow.
  • Impersonation scams: also known as social engineering scams, fraudsters will contact you pretending to be a representative of a reputable brand or company. The aim is to trick you into sharing personal information such as your PIN or full password.
  • Investment scams: fraudsters promise you high returns on investments such as cryptocurrency schemes. They may even try to convince you to take out a loan to fund the investments. You won’t hear from the criminal again once they have your money.
  • Romance fraud: criminals gain a victim’s trust by building a fake online relationship with them, before asking for financial help. They may promise to pay you back or meet in person but, once they have your money, you likely won’t hear from them again.

Look out for fraudsters impersonating Novuna

We’re noticing a rise in the number of fraudsters purporting to be from Novuna, asking customers to share sensitive information or requesting an upfront payment, deposit or advanced fee in return for a loan.

Please remember that we will NEVER:

  • Ask you to reveal personal details such as your account password or PIN
  • Request upfront payments or a deposit before releasing loan funds
  • Pressure you to make decisions about your application or loan agreement

If you’ve not sure about a call, text or email you’ve received from us please do not respond. Call us on 0344 375 5500 or email our fraud team to double check if the communication really came from us.

Think you could be a victim of fraud?

Noticed an unusual transaction on your bank statement, or received a bill for something you haven’t ordered? You may have inadvertently fallen for a scam.

If you’re a victim of identity theft, this may have a direct impact on your personal finances and could also make it difficult for you to obtain loans, credit cards or a mortgage until the matter is resolved. Keep an eye on your credit report and you may wish to sign up to a credit report monitoring service that will alert you to any changes on your credit file.

In our guide, we explain some of the warning signs to look out for that may indicate you’ve been a recent victim of fraud.

How we’re protecting our customers

You are our top priority. And, as a team, we’re doing all we can to protect our customers from fraud. We welcome your feedback to help us improve our processes and ensure our customers feel supported at every stage. Please do get in touch with our fraud team to share your thoughts.

  • Investment in state-of-the-art fraud prevention tools

  • Internal specialists to investigate and escalate instances of fraud

  • Identity and address verification

  • Online accounts are password and PIN protected

  • Biometric app login process

  • Automatic timeout if you forget to log out of your account

Useful fraud resources

Keen to find out more about fraud and how you can stay one step ahead? Here are key organisations and resources to bookmark:

  • Take Five - a national campaign offering impartial advice to help you protect yourself from preventable financial fraud
  • Get Safe Online – the UK’s leading internet safety website providing advice on how to protect yourself from online fraud
  • Cifas – here you can apply for ‘Protective Registration’ to prevent fraudsters from applying for products or services in your name
  • Action Fraud – the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre