Public told to be wary of 'spoofing' scams

02 Jan 2026

Bank TSB has warned the public to be wary of so-called 'spoofing' scams during 'scam season'.

TSB urged individuals to look out for purchase fraud, which has risen by 11% year-over-year. It stated that purchase fraud accounts for 63% of all its bank transfer fraud cases.

Amongst 2025's most targeted items affected by purchase scams were concert tickets; football tickets; games consoles; pet deposits; electrical goods; and children's toys.

Cyber experts have also warned of the threats posed by 'bank spoofing' attacks, which involve criminals contacting victims and impersonating their bank or another trusted organisation in order to trick them into revealing sensitive personal and financial information.

Richard Daniels, Director of Fraud Prevention at TSB, said: 'Scammers will be ramping up their activity with fake listings for goods and services that simply don't exist.

'With so much fraud coming from social media platforms, we would advise consumers to only pay for an item if you can view and verify in person - stay safe online during the sales.'