Millions of Nationwide Building Society members across the UK are being urged to use a new security feature immediately to protect themselves from a sophisticated and convincing telephone scam. The warning, supported by consumer champion Which?, highlights a fraud where criminals impersonate police and bank officials.
The 'Heathrow Scam' Explained
This specific fraud, known as the 'Heathrow scam call', begins with a fraudster pretending to be an officer from 'Heathrow Police Station'. The caller claims someone has been arrested at the airport carrying stolen personal documents, including your driving licence, to instil fear and panic.
Which? warns that the scammers often have personal details like your name and date of birth, likely obtained through data breaches, to make the call seem legitimate. They provide fake case and badge numbers, and may mention specific crypto or financial companies to add credibility, raising serious identity theft concerns.
The scam typically escalates with a follow-up call from the same criminal, now posing as a bank representative. They claim your identity has been used to open a fraudulent account, aiming to harvest more sensitive personal and financial information from you.
Nationwide's Call Checker: Your Verification Tool
In response, Nationwide has launched its 'Call Checker' service, integrated directly into its banking app. This feature is designed to give customers instant verification during an incoming call supposedly from the building society.
To use it, customers simply open the Nationwide app, navigate to "More" and then "Call Checker" while on the call. The app will then display one of two clear notifications. If the call is genuine, you will see the six-word message: "You’re on a call with Alex." If not, it will state: "You’re not on a call with us."
A Critical Defence Against Sophisticated Fraud
Jim Winters, Nationwide's Director of Economic Crime, emphasised the growing threat. "Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, and impersonation calls are one of the most common ways they trick people into handing over money," he said.
The new Call Checker complements Nationwide's existing Scam Checker service, which is already used by 100,000 people and prevents an estimated £300,000 from being lost to fraud every month. The building society, which is the world's largest of its kind, stresses that this simple step can offer peace of mind and prevent members from becoming victims.
With fraud tactics designed to exploit trust and create pressure, this verification tool provides a concrete way for customers to confirm who is on the other end of the line before divulging any information.
