Fraudsters Drain £50,000 From Jersey Bank Accounts Using Fake Bank Calls

More than £50,000 was stolen from Islanders’ bank accounts in a single day after fraudsters posing as bank employees tricked victims into revealing security details.

The scam, reported on Sunday, involved callers pretending to be representatives from a high-street bank and contacting people in Jersey. Victims were persuaded to share one-time passwords or authentication codes generated by their banking apps.

Once those codes were handed over, the criminals were able to take full control of the accounts and swiftly transfer large sums of money elsewhere.

States of Jersey Police have confirmed two reported cases so far, with combined losses totalling £50,000. Officers believe the true scale may be wider, as some victims may not yet realise they have been targeted or may not have reported the crime.

Detective Constable Paul Otter said the fraud relied on increasingly sophisticated “social engineering” techniques, where criminals manipulate people psychologically into disclosing sensitive information.

“Fraud has completely changed,” he said. “They are only interested in money and will target anyone — it could be you, me, or someone who is particularly vulnerable. Nobody is off-limits.”

He explained that callers quickly create a sense of legitimacy by claiming to be from a bank and guiding victims into unknowingly granting access to their accounts.

“Once they are in, they may refer to recent transactions or linked accounts to gain trust,” DC Otter said. “They might say something like, ‘I can see you bought fuel yesterday’ or ‘There was a cancelled payment on your account.’ That convinces the victim they’re speaking to their bank, when in reality the money is already being moved.”

Police are urging Islanders to remember that banks will never ask for security codes or access to accounts over the phone. Anyone receiving an unexpected call claiming to be from their bank should end the call and wait at least 10 minutes before contacting the bank using an official number or visiting a branch in person.

“If in doubt, hang up and check,” DC Otter said. “It’s far better to disconnect from a genuine call and verify it yourself than to stay on the line and lose your money.”

Anyone who believes they may have been targeted is advised to contact their bank immediately, as some transactions can still be stopped if acted on quickly, and then report the incident to the police.