Lloyds Bank points warning as £40 lacking from clients’ accounts | UK | News | EUROtoday

Lloyds Bank has issued a warning to clients forward of the lengthy weekend with fears that scammers will reap the benefits of the brief break to try to fleece harmless Brits out of their hard-earned money.

The financial institution is urging folks to not fall for “too good to be true” provides on DIY, family and sweetness objects, with many seeing funds of as much as £40 taken from their accounts regularly.

Lloyds stated social media scammers have been posing as well-known manufacturers utilizing pretend social media adverts to lure in unsuspecting consumers with adverts apparently that includes restricted provides from retailers corresponding to Screwfix, Amazon, and Elemis.

The adverts declare the provide is about to expire and customers are then encourage t enter a “draw” – or just pay a small quantity for postage solely.

The product by no means arrives, however fraudsters will then use card particulars to signal consumers up for month-to-month card funds, often known as as “continuous payment authority”.

Lloyds stated that individuals usually solely turn out to be conscious they’ve been scammed down the road, after they discover uncommon funds of round £30 or £40 each two to 4 weeks on their statements.

The financial institution acquired 1,400 chargeback requests from bank card clients who noticed uncommon transactions between January 1 and April 24, 2025, alone.

Gavin Evans, senior fraud supervisor at Lloyds stated: “These scammers are pretending to be trusted, legitimate retailers to make people think they’re getting a great deal, but there are some clear warning signs to look out for when these ads pop up on social media.”

Mr Evans stated that in lots of circumstances, card protections will apply – which suggests your financial institution can reverse the cost again to the scammer.

He stated that adverts with a “time limited angle” are additionally a pink flag as “legitimate retailers will not pressure you into making purchases”.

“These scammers are pretending to be trusted, legitimate retailers, to make people think they’re getting a great deal, but there are some clear warning signs people can look out for, when these ads pop up on social media. The biggest one is the offer is always too good to be true, with expensive goods apparently available at incredibly low prices, with no sign of the deal on the merchant’s website.”