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Helping you to be fraud aware this summer

Helping you to be fraud aware this summer

Welcome to our Summer guide

Summer can be a great time of year, but it can be a busy one too. Fraudsters, both at home and abroad, can look to take advantage of us being in unfamiliar surroundings, and often in a hurry.

Using your Cumberland Card abroad

We won't charge you a fee for using your Cumberland Plus debit card abroad. Find out more about using your Cumberland Plus debit card abroad.

Let us know that you’re travelling

You must tell us your travel dates and destination. This can be done via our Mobile Banking app, Internet Banking, or by calling 01228 403141.

If you haven’t informed us, then your card won’t be able to be used for cash withdrawals or debit card payments in a foreign currency outside the UK.

In the unfortunate event that you lose or damage your card, having a contingency fund of cash in an appropriate currency is advisable.

For full details of using your Cumberland Plus debit card abroad, including how to let us know and how conversion rates work, please visit our page: Using your card abroad.

Don’t get burnt

For those getting away this summer, take precautions to ensure that a fraudster doesn’t spoil your holiday.

Tips to get you started:

  • If you’d like to use your Cumberland Plus debit card abroad, let us know in advance.
  • Be mindful of criminals and pick pockets, especially around transport.
  • At bars/restaurants check how much you are paying before processing your card details. Ask for / check receipts where available.
  • Be vigilant around ATM machines, parking meters or cash machines. Check for things like physical tampering, or QR codes stuck over existing notices.

Safe surfing

  • Ensure your anti-virus software is up to date.
  • Be especially wary of links that come in unsolicited emails/texts.
  • A padlock symbol on your browser’s address bar indicates that a website has a secure connection.
  • Access internet banking via a favourited link rather than a search, and don’t log in whilst using free Wifi due to potential security risks.

Just the ticket

The summer is festival season. Fake sellers often advertise cheap tickets, but once they’ve been paid, it’s easy for them to disappear.

  • Try to purchase tickets from officially named sellers or re-sellers.
  • Do your research. Ask friends or trusted group users (on social media), before sending payment.
  • Get confirmation of what you are buying before committing.

Protect your castle

Be safe with your personal details this summer.

  • For unsolicited calls, give yourself time. Don’t be rushed into a decision. If unsure, end the call and contact the company via a trusted channel.
  • Keep your passwords safe and don’t use the same password for all accounts.
  • Protect your phone, use Apple Pay and Googlepay with facial recognition/fingerprint biometrics.
  • One Time Passcodes are only required to confirm purchases.
  • Be wary of scams where a call/text poses as a relative needing money urgently.

See through the haze

Is it really The Cumberland calling?

Things that we'll never do:

  • Ask for your PIN, One Time Passcodes or Internet Banking login details.
  • Ask you to transfer funds away from your Cumberland accounts.
  • Send someone to your home to collect cash or bank cards.

If you’re unsure that it’s us, hang up and call us back – we won’t mind.

If you end a call and then phone an organisation to check the previous call, wait 15 minutes to ensure the line is clear, or use a completely different phone line to ensure the original caller isn’t still on the line.

Return to our fraud protection home page for further tips and information.