3.  

    Keep log-in details secure by never sharing these with others. Use passwords that you can remember, but are difficult for others to guess, and never write them down.

    Warning signs may include unexpected contact either via phone or email, repeated contact, requests for personal or financial information, time sensitive offers or investment returns that sound too good to be true, and scam emails.

    What are the warning signs?

    How do I protect myself?

    Unexpected contact, or repeated calls

    If you get cold-called, the safest thing to do is to hang up. If you get unexpectedly contacted by email, you should send the email, as an attachment, to the genuine firm’s fraud team, or ignore it.

    Requesting your PIN or password

    A genuine bank or organisation will never ask for these types of personal details. Never give them if prompted.

    Requesting personal details or financial information

    Never give them if it is not for a service you want or if you feel at all suspicious about the authenticity of the call.

    Tempting returns that sound too good to be true

    If an investment sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Trust your instinct and do not proceed.

    Offering reassurance about the risks involved

    If you are told not to worry about the risks and that the investment is safe, don’t simply accept that it is true. Challenge it and do not proceed if you feel uncertain.

    Exclusive offers

    If you are told the offer is only available to you, or you are asked not to tell anyone else about the opportunity, this is a sign that it is not genuine. Do not engage in any further communication.

    Unnecessary pressure

    If you are told it is a time-limited offer, or are offered a bonus or discount if you invest before a set date, do not be pressured into acting quickly – a genuine bank or investment firm won’t mind giving you time to think.

    Fraudsters are persistent

    Beware of anyone who calls you repeatedly and/or anyone who tries to keep you on the phone for long periods of time.


    The FCA's Scamsmart website is a good source of information and allows you to search the FCA warning list if you have been offered an investment.

    National Crime Agency (NCA) mantra:

    • Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
    • Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
    • Protect: Contact your investment manager immediately if you think you’ve been defrauded and report it to ActionFraud. Speak to your bank as soon as possible if you believe you have transferred money to a criminal.

     

    You can report to ActionFraud on www.actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 or if in Scotland call 101.

    Keep an eye on your credit file. You can register (usually for free) with one of the following credit reference agencies for a regular update on your credit report:

    https://www.creditkarma.co.uk/

    https://www.experian.co.uk/

    https://www.equifax.co.uk/

     

    CIFAS is a charity fraud prevention organisation which will alert you to any activity in your name: https://www.cifas.org.uk/services/identity-protection/protective-registration

    To find out more about banking scams, Which?, the consumer rights group article provide guidance on action you can take to recover fraud losses if they have signed up to the voluntary Authorised Push Payment Scam Code.

    https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-to-do-if-youre-the-victim-of-a-bank-transfer-app-scam

    More information about pension frauds can be found at www.pension-scams.com.

    The UK consumer group ‘Which?’ has also published simple, straightforward advice on their website regarding how to spot a scam: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-spot-a-scam

    You can find out more about how to protect yourself from investment fraud on the Take Five website: https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/

    Here is a brief overview of each type and what to look out for:

     

    Suspicious emails and email scams (phishing) 

    Fraudsters will attempt to create what appears to be a legitimate e-mail email from an organisation like Baillie Gifford. Often the e-mail email will encourage you to click on a link. This may take you to a cloned website or install a computer virus. 

    Fraudulent email addresses often have spelling errors or numbers in the email address. 

    Our email address format is: xxx@bailliegifford.com

    Forward suspicious phishing emails to the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Suspicious Email Reporting Service : report@phishing.gov.uk.  

    https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails  

    (Note this email is not for reporting crimes)  

    If you have received an email claiming to be from Baillie Gifford which you believe may be fraudulent please send this to trustenquiries@bailliegifford.com by attaching it to a new email (rather than forwarding) and we will be happy to investigate and confirm if the contact is genuine.   

     

    Cloning scams (fake websites) – include our website address format, https: and padlock. 

    How to check if a firm is genuine?

     

    Vishing (unsolicited fraudulent call) 

    Fraudsters can telephone you and try to obtain personal information. 

    If you do receive a telephone call, it is it is best to hang up or end the call. 

    Please contact our Client Relations team on 0800 917 2112 or send an email with detail to trustenquiries@bailliegifford.com if you receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be from Baillie Gifford which you believe may be fraudulent. 

    Fraudsters often take advantage of current events to catch people out amid crisis. We recommend checking a trusted source, like the Money Advice Service, regularly to be in the know of the latest frauds. Look out for people and organisations you don’t know asking for contributions towards COVID19 relief.  

    https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/types-of-scam 

    Remain vigilant and check genuine sources for information. 

    BG will only contact you by email if you have signed up to be on our marketing list or in response to an email enquiry from you. We do not cold call prospective customers and we will not contact you by text or telephone suggesting that you buy an investment from us. 

    We will not solicit investment business with you directly. Application forms and top up forms will only be sent when requested by you.

    We will periodically contact you with the latest information on how to stay alert and safe from fraud. 

    It has come to our attention that fraudsters claiming to be representatives or employees of Baillie Gifford have been contacting people via social media platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) in the attempt to sell investment shares or Bitcoin.

    Please be advised that these individuals are in no way affiliated with Baillie Gifford or any of our representatives. Baillie Gifford will never contact you from a personal account or ask for your personal or financial details. We will not solicit investment business with you directly via any of these channels.

    If you notice any suspicious activity from someone claiming to be from Baillie Gifford, we’d advise reporting this individual to the social media platform’s help centre, and immediately blocking the account or individual.

    If you need any further advice, please contact our Client Relations Team.

    We have recently been made aware of an increase in ‘boiler room scams’ to clients who hold share certificates for our trusts. This involves receiving a cold call, email or letter from an individual claiming to work for a company that offers to buy or sell your shares at an extremely inflated price. They may say that they are part of ‘Take over’ of one of our trusts or funds. The scammers can find out that you have a holding by viewing publicly available shareholder lists.  They will often apply high pressure tactics to get information from you and advise that there is a tight deadline to take advantage of their offer.
     
    If you are contacted in this way, please do not give the fraudster any information and immediately end the call. If the call is regarding a share certificate holding that you have in one of our trusts, you may wish to report the attempt to Computershare Investor Services who are the Registrar for our trusts. Details of the telephone numbers for the relevant teams are below;
     
    Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust – 0370 707 1410 
    Baillie Gifford European Growth Trust – 0370 889 4086 
    Baillie Gifford Japan Trust – 0370  889 3221 
    Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon Trust – 0370 889 3223 
    Baillie Gifford UK Growth Fund – 0370 702 0000 
    Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust – 0370 702 0000 
    Scottish American Investment Company – 0370 707 1282 
    Scottish Mortgage Investment Company – 0370 707 1300 
    Pacific Horizon Investment Trust – 0370 707 1229 
    Monks Investment Trust – 0370 707 1170 
    Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust – 0370 707 1643 
     
    You can view further information on boiler room scams on the FCA website.
     
    Please see further information below on who to report this to and how to protect yourself.

    Report to ActionFraud on www.actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. 

    Notify the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) by telephoning their Consumer Helpline (0800 111 6768) or by filling in an online form (https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/report-scam-unauthorised-firm)  

    Forward suspicious phishing emails to the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Suspicious Email Reporting Service : report@phishing.gov.uk.  

    https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails  

    (Note this NCSC email is not for reporting crimes).

    • Cease all contact with the criminals and do not provide them with any further information.
    • If you have paid money to the fraudster, immediately contact your bank and advise them what has occurred, they may be able to get the money back for you. The bank may also be able to add further protective security measures to your account. Which? provides some useful information on how you may be able to make a claim against your bank to get your money reimbursed.
    • Report the scam to Action Fraud, they can be contacted on 0300 123 2040 or if in Scotland call 101, or via their website.
    • It’s also important to keep a watch on your credit file in the event that your details are used elsewhere by the fraudster. There are many free services that you can register on that will notify you if your details are used to obtain credit, examples of such services are Experian, Credit Karma and Equifax.
    • It is also advisable to notify any other companies that you hold financial products with, they may be able to offer you new account numbers or put additional security measures in place to protect your accounts.
    • Notify the FCA by calling their consumer helpline on 0800 111 6768 or by completing their online form.
    • You can also forward suspicious emails to the National Crime Agency, via their Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). The email address is report@phishing.gov.uk
    • If you have been the victim of a scam from a cloned firm, whereby you are contacting by someone purporting to be from an FCA regulated firm that you then find to be fraudulent, you should also contact the genuine firm to report the incident. They can then notify the relevant agencies and take necessary actions.
    • Contact CIFAS, a charity fraud prevention organisation. They can ensure that you are alerted if an account in your name is opened with another financial organisation. They can also be contacted by telephone on 0330 100 0180.
    • Protect your property.  The Land Registry offer a free Property Alert service:  https://propertyalert.landregistry.gov.uk/  
    • You may also wish to contact the passport office for any further advice that they may offer in case your identity has been compromised on 0300 222 0000 and also the DVLA on 0300 790 6801.
    • Beware of further contact, e.g. a financial services firm will not ask for money upfront to return your money or assets to you. 
    • Beware of criminals pretending to be the police or the FCA. 
    • Beware of criminals claiming to be from the fraud team at your bank. 

    If you have been a victim of a scam there are organisations that can help and support you further, these include:
     
    Victim Support offer free and confidential advice to help you. Their website is www.victimsupport.org and you can call their Support Line on 0808 16 89 111.

    Victim and Witness Information Service is a government funded website www.victimandwitnessinformation.org.uk and they have a helpline: 0808 168 2923.
     
    Turn2us is a national charity that provides information to those struggling financially. Their website is www.turn2us.org.uk
     
    Samaritans' website is at www.samaritans.org and they can be contacted on 116 123 or by email at jo@samaritans.org  
     
    Citizens Advice have a website at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk and their Advice Line is 03444 111 444.