How do I report fraud, card loss or theft, or suspicious activity on my account?

If you think you are a victim of fraud. Use the numbers below to report a lost or stolen card or if your have notice suspicious activity on your account.

UK clients

Inside the UK: 0330 123 5985

Outside the UK: +44 (0)20 7597 2836

Channel Islands clients

Inside Channel Islands: 01481 706 441

Outside Channel Islands: +44 1481 706 441

Common types of fraud

Online purchase
Cryptocurrency investment scams
Suspicious text messages (smishing)
Brand impersonation of Investec and others

Online purchase

Online shopping has become the norm. It saves time and gives you a choice of suppliers from around the world. It also gives fraudsters the opportunity to reach a wider audience and hide behind the internet. Shopping can be anything from clothes to holidays, auction sites to computers.


Just because someone says their company is .co.uk or .co.za does not mean they are located there!

The key trend in online fraud is to encourage you to pay outside of the main site – offering a discount to do so. If you do pay outside, you will certainly lose any protection provided by the host site. 


Goods could be counterfeit, stolen, and even non-existent. Fraudsters will sell goods or try to buy yours. Whether you are buying at an Auction site, a Holiday Villa, Flights, Tickets for Concerts or theatres, or employment opportunities, the fraudsters operate much in the same way.

Look for ‘spoofed’ website names like ebayz, Amazn Arbnb, etc.

Cryptocurrency investment scams

Fraudsters are taking advantage of low-interest rates in traditional financial services to market lucrative “investments” in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. You may be asked to make a card bank transfer to your new “crypto wallet,” after which the fraudsters will disappear with your money and the investment will never materialise.

 

Protect yourself by following these rules:

  1. Always be aware of the risks associated with crypto investments.
  2. Do not transfer money to a cryptocurrency wallet that you didn’t set up yourself.
  3. Check the FCA warning list to ensure you are not dealing with a fraudulent investment provider.
  4. Always call the provider to verify the investment on an independently-sourced number, not the one found in the body of an email or documents you have been sent..

Suspicious text messages (smishing)

Fraudsters are increasingly sending text messages that impersonate genuine companies such as a tax authority, a postal service or even your bank. They may appear to be genuine, but are designed to steal data or to get people to pay them. This is called ‘smishing’ (SMS phishing).

Always remember:

1. Never click on a link within a text message. Instead, call the organisation on an independently sourced number to confirm if the message is genuine. Don’t call the number in the text message.

2. If you want to access online banking, do so through the Investec app or through Investec Online. Don’t use a website link someone has sent you.

3. Never respond to a suspicious message. Instead, block the sender’s number using your device or contact your network provider and ask them to block the number for you.

Brand impersonation of Investec and others

Is someone claiming to be from Investec? Fraudsters may contact you by telephone, email, SMS or text, letter or direct you to a website. These communications may look legitimate, with similar-sounding names to a bank or financial institution.

By adding official-looking logos, banking registration details and company numbers, these well-crafted deceptions give the impression that everything is right. If you’re not sure, call the head office switchboard, and never use numbers supplied by the person you’re suspicious of.

If you’ve already transferred money or information to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately. The bank may not recover all of it, but if you move quickly, it will recover what it can.

We maintain a list of companies and people who claim to be from Investec. With your feedback, we can keep everyone informed. You can review our full list of fraud alerts here.

If you think you have been targeted, click here to find more information on investment scams

Email safety

Useful resources

Navigate Fraud

Stay alert to current threats

Learn more about brand impersonation, cruptocurrency, smishing and more.

Protect yourself against fraud

From protecting your identity and devices to malicious apps. Find out what more you can do.

Our security programme

Our security programme is broken up into three main components: Fraud prevention, Cybersecurity and Information security.

Investec will never ask you to:

• Share your account details

• Tell us your security information or logon details

• Move money to another account

• Send you an email with a link to Investec Online Banking

• Direct you to a web page that asks for this information

How to reach the authorities

We urge you to report fraud, card loss, theft or suspicious activity to the authorities online to:

Insights from Investec Focus

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