Helping you keep your savings safe and secure

It’s not a good statistic, but unfortunately fraud's on the rise. According to UK Finance*, there were over two million confirmed cases of fraud in the first half of 2025, with more than £629 million stolen by criminals in the first six months of the year. This represents a 17% increase in cases and a 3% increase in losses compared to the first half of 2024.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to remain vigilant and ensure your finances are safe and secure.

To help you with this, we’ve put together our top tips to help you keep your savings safe.

1 - Be password savvy

It may seem like the most obvious tip but picking the right password and keeping it safe is one of the most important and easiest ways of keeping your finances secure.

To avoid obvious passwords, you should refrain from using personal information such as birthdays and important dates. Instead, consider a phrase and possibly change certain letters to numbers.

For top tips to ensure you’re doing all you can to keep you and your savings safe online, visit https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/use-a-strong-and-separate-password-for-email

2 - Keep your personal details safe

Ensure you never give out your passwords, PINs or anything that may help scammers access your accounts.

At Chetwood Bank, we’ll never ask you to disclose your full password or bank details. If anyone asks you for these full details, you should let us know straightaway.

3 - It’s OK to be cautious

If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t. It’s OK to ask questions and give yourself time to think carefully. You should never feel pressured to give out your personal information. Ask yourself the question, ‘Could this be a scam?’. If the answer is yes, then hang up or just ignore the request.

Scam texts and emails are always around. Don’t click on anything you don’t recognise or that you weren’t expecting.

4 - Keep up-to-date with the latest scams

Knowledge is power. Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest scams by visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk/. The website contains lots of useful information, so make sure you take the time to check the latest news.

5 - Check the website

Believe it or not, fraudsters can set up fake website to try and obtain your information. There are some quick and easy ways to help ensure you don’t fall victim to this. Check that the web address is spelled correctly - fraudulent sites often use small spelling changes or extra characters. You can also check for security indicators such as “https://” and a padlock icon in your browser’s address bar. The website itself may have low quality images or simple spelling mistakes.

6 - Report anything suspicious immediately

It’s important to act immediately. If you’re worried or you think you’ve been the victim of fraud, then it’s important you report this to us straightaway. And please don’t be afraid to ask and check if there’s anything you’re unsure of.

You can contact us by calling 01978 803976.

*Half Year Fraud Report 2025 | Policy and Guidance | UK Finance