Do you know who’s calling? 

Last year, Ofcom found almost 45 million people in the UK were on the receiving end of potential scam texts or calls over just 3 months. Technology is changing our lives for the better, but sadly it’s also creating opportunities for criminals.

You trust us with your hard-earned money, and we know that’s a privilege. That’s why we’re constantly looking for ways to make the app even more secure. And while we’re not a bank, we’re still authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, and the Bank of Lithuania in EEA.

But, fraudsters, being fraudsters, try to prey on that trust. A common way they do this is by contacting you and pretending to be a trusted organisation (like Curve, your bank, a utility provider, HMRC or even the police).

This is known as impersonation scamming and it happens via text, phone call, email or social media. They’ll try to lure you into a scam by telling you there’s an issue with your account and then typically attempt to trick you into sharing private information like text message or SMS verification codes, your Curve passcode, card details or other sensitive personal information.

They’ll usually put you under pressure to act quickly - saying you’re at risk of losing money or facing legal/criminal action unless you act fast. This is all designed to catch you off guard and get you to make a rash decision and make a mistake.

Fraudsters often seem knowledgeable and can sometimes seem legit by appearing to generate a text message you receive whilst on the phone to them. They might then ask you to read out an authorisation code within that text message and in doing so, they have what they need to authorise some activity (e.g. a payment) that you didn’t instruct. This code should never be shared in full and Curve will never ask you to do this.

Remember, anyone can be a victim of an impersonation scam. Please be vigilant, and remember a genuine business that’s contacted you unannounced will have no problem with you hanging up and contacting them using a trusted method.

Here’s how Curve might contact you:

Email

If our Advisors need to contact you to discuss any suspicious transaction on your Curve account, you can expect to be contacted by email from support@curve.com. 

In-App Chat

Directly via the in-app chat is our preferred way to hear from you and only if you reach out to us first. If we do need to follow up with you via email, we’ll always give you a heads up in our conversation in the app.

If you receive any message from us you’re not expecting, it might be a scam, so contact us right away on the following:

• Message us within the Curve App chat
  

  • Open the Curve app > head to the Account tab > scroll down to the Help Centre > tap Chat

• Email us at support@curve.com

We won’t be offended and we can confirm whether what you received came from us!

Here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of an impersonation scam: 

1. Remember, Curve will never ever ask you to share your:

   1. full SMS verification code

   2. Curve Card PIN number 

   3. Curve mobile app passcode 

   4. Full Curve card information (full card number, expiry, CVC)

2. Treat any message, email or call that you are not expecting with caution. 

3. Fraudsters may have some details about you. Just because someone knows your basic details doesn’t necessarily mean they’re genuine. 

4. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you into sharing information with them. You can end the call and contact Curve or any other company by your own means to confirm your suspicions. 

5. Never download software if someone claiming to work for one of these institutions asks you to. They’re trying to access your personal information.

What should you do if you’re a victim of a scam?

If you've been tricked by a fraudster into sending them money or providing your codes to them, chat to us in-app so we can help:

• Block your Curve Card in-app to prevent further transactions from occurring.

• Open the Curve app > head to the Account tab > scroll down to the Help Centre

• Tap ‘Start new chat’ (it looks like a chat bubble icon)

• Give as much information as possible, so we can look into this matter for you and promptly respond. 

Or email us at support@curve.com with the details of your experience.

For any more information on this type of fraud or any other fraud. Please check out  https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/