Scam Messages

Does your business know how to spot a scam message? In this guide we show you how to stay safe from scam emails and text messages.

Click with care!

It’s best to take a second to stop and think: is this message genuine?

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How scam messages work

Fraudsters can use emails and texts to try to scam your business.

They use all kinds of tricks to get you to click on something or reply. Their goal is to steal banking details or money.

We’ll never send a message with a link for you to log on or provide personal details. And we won’t ask you to move money to another account.

Genuine companies and people don’t get in touch for no reason to ask for money or banking details. Even if you know the sender of a message, make sure it’s genuine before you do anything else

  • Your mobile phone and email should have SPAM filters to help your business avoid scam messages. But some could get through.

    If you’re not sure about a message, there are a couple of things to look out for right away:

    • Bad spelling - Often scam messages don’t look right, with a messy layout and spelling mistakes.
    • Did it come out of the blue? - Be wary of a message that you didn’t expect to get. 

    Next, we’ll tell you about the main threats from scam messages and how to avoid them.

    Links to fake sites - click with care

    Computer virus - download with care

    Big boss scam - double-check the sender

    Links to fake sites - click with care

    Some scam messages use a link that takes you to a fake site. The site then tries to get banking or business details.

    Only click on a link if you know and trust the sender.

    If you visit our site and it looks odd in any way, don’t log on or key in a code from your card or reader. It could be a fake site or your device may have a virus.

    • Contact us right away if you notice anything wrong with our site.

    Computer virus - download with care

    A scam message can hide a virus in an attachment, link or file download. This can infect your computer to steal banking and other details.

    Only click on things or download a file if you know and trust the sender.

    Big boss scam - double-check the sender

    This scam pretends to be someone from your business who sends a message for an urgent payment or transfer of money.
    If you get a message like this, call the sender in person to make sure it’s real.

    Use a number you trust and not one from a message.

  • If you get an email from us, there are many ways to tell if it's real or not

    We’ll always:

    Greet you by title and surname

    As in Dear Mrs Smith.

    Include part of your main account number

    Or part of your postcode if you don't have an account number yet.

    Write to you in a reasonable and calm way

    To try and trick you, scam messages may use warnings, threats of fraud or problems with your business account.

    We’ll never send a message that:

    • Asks for your banking or personal details.
    • Asks you to move money to another account or to make a test payment online.
    • Links directly to our Internet Banking log on page. Or a page that asks for your security or personal details.

    You can also check our email address to spot a scam. It should end with lloydsbank.co.uk and never have another word in between lloydsbank and .co.uk.

  • Sorry- That's incorrect!

    We’d never send you a text or email with a link that takes you directly to a log on page or one asking for personal details. For more information, look at our tips for spotting a scam message.

    That's correct!

    That’s correct, we’d never send you a text or email with a link that takes you directly to a log on page. Fraudsters do this.”

    Sorry- That's incorrect!

    We’d never send you a text or email that didn’t include part of your name, business account number or post code. For more information, look at our tips for spotting a scam message.

    That's correct!

    We’d never send you a text or email that didn’t include part of your name, business account number or post code.

    Sorry- That's incorrect!

    We’ll never get in touch and ask you to move money to another account. Only a fraudster would do this. If you get a message like this, don’t reply. Use our top tips for spotting a scam message.

    That's correct!

    We’d never message and ask you to move money to another account – not even to secure an account.

Lloyds Bank will never ask you to:

  • Share account details like user ID, password and memorable information.
  • Tell us the security number for Telephone Banking.
  • Tell us the PIN code or expiry date of your business bank card.
  • Move money to another account

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Important legal information

Lloyds Bank plc. Registered office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales No. 2065. Lloyds Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 119278. Telephone: 020 7626 1500

Eligible deposits with us are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). We are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Please note that due to FSCS and FOS eligibility criteria not all business customers will be covered.

Calls may be monitored or recorded in case we need to check we have carried out your instructions correctly and to help improve our quality of service.