Card security

ATM fraud prevention

Protecting your card and PIN

Bogus courier scam

Travelling abroad

Card fraud

Using your card for online purchases

• never divulge your PIN to anyone, not even the bank or Police
• always use your hand as a shield while entering your PIN to keep it a secret
• be aware of others around when using an ATM, particularly at night, and avoid using an ATM if suspicious looking individuals are hanging around
• do not take advice from 'helpful' strangers that happen to be standing near an ATM, especially if your card has been unexpectedly retained
• if anything looks suspicious or unusual when you are at the ATM then do not use it. Instead either alert a member of staff if available or move a reasonable distance from the machine and call the Police
• if you realise the ATM has been tampered with after you have inserted your card, contact HSBC while still standing at the cash machine if it is safe to do so
• contact HSBC immediately if your card is unexpectedly retained by an ATM and store HSBC's phone number into your mobile
• on completing a transaction, discreetly put your money and card away before leaving the cash machine
• check your statements regularly for any transactions you do not recognise and report them to HSBC immediately

Keep your information safe:

• do not let your card out of sight, especially when making purchases in restaurants, bars and petrol stations
• ensure that you're the only person who knows your PIN – do not write it down or store it in a way that other people could understand and access 
• never disclose your PIN to anyone, not even a Police officer or a bank employee (HSBC staff would never ask for your PIN)
• contact HSBC immediately if a courier says they have come to collect your card, PIN, online banking secure key or cash
• always use your hand as a shield whilst entering your PIN to keep it secret
• only carry the cards you need
• never leave your handbag or wallet unattended
• pay attention to card expiry dates. If your replacement card hasn't arrived, call HSBC to check the situation with your new card

Find out more information on your PIN.

Elderly and vulnerable members of the public have been receiving unsolicited calls from fraudsters purporting to be from their bank or couriers working on behalf of their bank. On occasion they also claim to be Police officers working on a fraud involving the bank or one of their employees.

The fraudsters telephone customers on their landline claiming that their debit or credit card has been used fraudulently. In order to gain customers trust the fraudsters tell them to ring their bank on the telephone number printed on the reverse of their card to ensure the call is genuine. The fraudster pretends to hang up the call, however, the fraudster keeps the telephone line open, so even though the customer thinks they are calling their bank, the call does not go through. Instead they are still unwittingly connected to the fraudster.

The fraudster, who is now pretending to be your Bank, will say that the card needs to be collected and will ask the customer to key in their PIN or write it down and put it in an envelope with the card, cash and their online banking secure key, before sending a courier to collect the items. The customer will be advised that the card is going to the bank to be replaced, but is actually delivered to the fraudster. Once in possession of the card, the PIN and the victim's full bank details, the fraudsters attempt to withdraw all available funds from the customer's account.

Remember:

• HSBC will NEVER send a courier to your home to collect your card, PIN, online banking secure key or cash. Contact us and your local Police immediately if this happens
• do not divulge your PIN to anyone
• we may call you as part of our fraud detection purposes to verify whether a transaction is genuine or not. We will never ask you to divulge full security information or advise you that we are sending a courier to collect this information
• with any suspicious or unexpected call, always verify the call, by checking the number exists from an independent source - such as a phone book and if the caller asks you to make a call, use a different phone line (where possible). Where a second phone line is not available, try calling a friend on the line first. A fraudster will find it difficult to impersonate a voice that is known to you. If in doubt, don't call back.

Reduce the chance of being inconvenienced when using your cards abroad:

• ensure we have up to date contact details for you before travelling abroad. Particularly your mobile phone number and email address
  
• take a note of our lost and stolen number in case of an emergency (+44 1442 422929). We recommend you store it in your mobile
• keep your cards with you at all times, or in a safe place.

Our lines are open 24 hours a day including Bank Holidays.

We need you to help us prevent card fraud:

• shred all documents (receipts, letters etc.) that contain your name, address or other account and personal information
• when registering a memorable name, avoid using your mother's maiden name or children's names etc. - use an alternative which cannot be easily guessed by fraudsters
• check your statements regularly for any transactions you do not recognise and report them to HSBC immediately
• do not respond to phishing emails - HSBC will never send you an email asking you to disclose personal information, bank details, passwords or PIN
• do not share your personal information unless you are confident that you know who you are speaking to
• pay attention to card expiry dates. If your replacement card hasn't arrived, call HSBC to check the status of your new card.

Please refer to your account's general terms and conditions where more extensive security information appears.

We provide an extra layer of security when you shop online with your HSBC UK debit card and credit card, using the VISA Secure or Mastercard Identity Check service. It's free and you don't need to register.

When you buy something online with your HSBC UK debit or credit card, you may be asked to confirm the payment so that we can check it's really you and not a fraudster.

From June 2021, you may be asked to confirm online card payments more often, and we're bringing in new ways for you to do this. To find out more about these changes, see confirming online card purchases.