We’re always working to find new ways to help our customers stay safe from fraud.  

We work with external fraud prevention partners and monitor suspicious activities, such as phishing attempts, impersonation attempts and any unauthorised use of our brand. If we detect something suspicious that affects you, we’ll work with you to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.  

We continually add new systems and update our technology to help keep you and your money safe.

For example: 

• Auto log out – If you’re logged into your account and haven’t been active for a period of time, we’ll automatically log you out.
• Nominated accounts – Our automated checks make sure that your money can only ever be paid back to the account it came from.
• We work with other banks – As part of confirmation of payee, your bank will carry out a name and account check when you set-up your HTB savings account with them prior to making a payment, giving you more confidence as to where you’re sending your money. 
• We never ask for full security information – Our systems are designed that we do not have (or need) access to your log on details, like your password, user ID or memorable information, so never give them out in full. 
• Protecting your data – Our data privacy notice lets you know how we use your personal information and keep it safe. 
• Secure website – When you log into your savings account, on a lot of browsers you’ll notice that the address bar (‘https://’) turns green, showing that our website has an extra level of security. 
• One time codes – We use one-time authentication codes to help keep you safe. These are unique 6-digit codes sent to your email or mobile phone.  Never share these codes with anyone and it’s important to keep your contact details up to date.

Scammers often pretend to work for large, well-recognised and respected companies. This could be banks, insurance companies, technology companies or charities. It’s very rare that your bank will call you and ask for your details over the phone. 

Spot scammers and help protect yourself:

• On the phone: If you’ve been called about something, you can hang-up and call the business back on their official number.
• In emails: Don’t open any emails or click any links from senders you don’t trust. For example, our service team will always email you from an address ending in @htb.co.uk
• By text: Don’t click on any links. You can always get in touch with the brand directly using their official contact details to confirm it’s authentic. 

And generally:

• Don’t give out personal details 
• Reject offers that come out of the blue or that offers something that sounds too good to be true 
• Check that the person and firm you’re dealing with are authentic. See further guidance in the menu below, where you can find links to helpful support sites, such as the FCA’s Financial Services Register where you can check the status of the firm you’re dealing with. 

If you’re ever in any doubt about whether a communication you’ve received from us is genuine, please contact us straight away. 

If you believe you’ve been a victim of a scam or you suspect fraudsters might be trying to access your money, please contact our dedicated Financial Crime team at financialcrime@htb.co.uk 

If you receive an email, text or phone call (claiming to be) from us asking for your personal or security information, please don’t reply or click on any links or attachments.  

Providing this information will help us to further reduce fraud and prevent any future attacks. 

• Get Safe Online – Helpful advice from a joint initiative between government, the police and businesses. 
• Take Five – Take Five offers straightforward advice to help everyone in the UK protect themselves against financial fraud.
• Cyber Aware – Cyber Aware is a government campaign designed to help you learn how to protect yourself online. 
• Financial Services Register – the Financial Conduct Authority lists all licensed banks so you know who you’re dealing with. 
• FCA warning list – browse all the firms the FCA class as unsafe. 
• ScamSmart – Using FCA’s ScamSmart is another way that can help you to avoid scams. The checker allows consumers to check whether investment and pensions are genuine.
• National Fraud Database – If you’ve had your identity compromised, you can request Protective Registration with Cifas. They’ll add a warning flag against your name and other personal details in their National Fraud Database to tell any organisation that uses Cifas data to pay closer attention when your details are used.