Restaurants warned over bogus bank phone scam
Restaurant businesses have been warned to be vigilant of a rise in the use of a scam that sees fraudsters attempt to obtain restaurant customers' card details.
The scam involves fraudsters posing as bank staff who phone restaurants and claim there is a problem with their card payment system and restaurants in London's West End and in Canary Wharf are already thought to have been targeted.
The restaurant is instructed to redirect any card payments to a phone number provided by the fraudsters.
Later in the day, then the restaurant calls the phone number, the fraudsters again pose as bank staff and ask to speak to the paying customer and goes through a series of bogus security questions.
Once the fraudsters have obtained enough information from the customer, the fraudsters instruct the restaurant to put the transaction through.
The fraudsters can then use the bank details they have obtained in an attempt to transfer money to their own account using fraudulently obtained security details.
"If you receive any calls from your bank claiming there is a problem with payments, make sure you phone them on an established number to confirm the request is genuine. In addition, always wait five minutes to ensure the line is clear, as fraudsters will sometimes try to stay on the phone line and pretend to be your bank."