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Authorised card scams

There are two main types of card fraud.

  1. Unauthorised fraud is when someone steals your card details and spends your money without you knowing.

  2. Authorised fraud is more complex. It's when a scammer tricks you into making a payment or sharing your card details for something you believe is real. Because you’ve approved the payment, these can be harder to spot and recover.

If you've been tricked by a fraudster into sending them money, please get in touch with us by tapping Help on the bottom right of the app, search for "Reporting a scam", tap the help article and then "Report Fraud" and complete the steps in the form.

Common types of card scams

Scammers use many different stories to get you to use your card. You can read our deep-dives on each one here:

  • Investment scams promise high returns or crypto opportunities.

  • Job task scams involve paying "fees" to start a high-paying remote job or to release a loan.

  • Impersonation scams involve people pretending to be Monzo, the police, or HMRC.

  • Purchase scams include paying for things like cars, tickets, or tech that never arrive or don't exist.

Five rules for card safety

  1. Phone numbers can be faked: Scammers use spoofing to make their caller ID show up as "Monzo" or "HMRC." If you’re unsure, hang up and call us back using the number on your card.

  2. Stay in control: A real company will never mind if you hang up to double-check. If a caller is pressuring you or trying to keep you on the line, that’s a red flag.

  3. Monzo will never force you to move money: We will never call and ask you to move money to a "safe account" or a "holding pen." Banks might suggest moving money, but anyone telling you it's the only option might be a scammer.

  4. Keep your codes to yourself: Never share a one-time passcode (OTP) or approve a notification in your app because someone on the phone told you to. Those codes are for your eyes only.

  5. Don’t be rushed: Fraudsters rely on panic. If you’re being told you must act fast to save your money, take a breath and talk to us first.

Where to find more support

If you want to sharpen your scam-spotting skills, we recommend these trusted resources:

For more advice on how to keep yourself safe from fraud, head to monzo.com/fraud..

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