Cynical scammers set to strike during Christmas week, Santander UK warns

Sign up to our free money newsletter for investment analysis and expert advice to help you build wealth Sign up to our free money email for help building your wealth Sign up to our free money email for help building your wealth SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A major bank is warning people to watch out for fraudsters over the festive period, with nearly £2 million having been reported lost to bank transfer scams between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day last year by its customers. Scammers don’t take the holiday season off Pete Staffel, Santander UK On Christmas Day last year, reports of online scams included clothes purchased on Instagram, as well as football and Taylor Swift tickets purchased on Facebook Marketplace. And scammers did not take New Year’s Day off either as 2024 got under way, with customers reporting several advance fee scams, including a £1,700 payment made with the intention of securing a job offer with a “recruiter” via WhatsApp. Santander data covering December 25 2023 to January 1 2024 shows that 596 scams were reported by the bank’s retail and business customers.