Some banks, it appears, are more vulnerable than others to cybersecurity and fraud. Santander ranks first with the most risk of customers being a victim of fraud. NatWest and Barclays follow in second and third, respectively, according to a new survey of U.K. banks.
The Co-Operative bank has the lowest risk of customers falling victim to fraud. The new study has revealed the top five banks in the U.K. where customers are most at risk of fraud, with Santander ranking at the top of the list.
VPN Overview has analysed Google search data to discover the search volume for multiple terms including ‘fraud number’ and ‘fraud helpline’, combining these to determine which banks have the highest number of customers experiencing scams. The data has been shared with Digital Journal.
The outcome is:
| Ranking | Bank | Fraud Search Volume |
| 1 | Santander | 11,690 |
| 2 | NatWest | 11,480 |
| 3 | Barclays | 9,450 |
| 4 | HSBC | 5,540 |
| 5 | Halifax | 4,620 |
Santander places top of the list with a total search volume of 11,690. Despite being a well-established bank that operates internationally in countries such as France, Italy, Canada, and the United States, many customers have searched for the ‘Santander fraud line’.
Second in the ranking is NatWest. It may be one of the Big Four banks in the U.K., but customers appear to be dealing with troubling situations with ‘NatWest fraud team number’ holding the second highest number searches of 2,900.
Third on the list is Barclays, one of the largest banks in the UK, which gathered a total of 9,450 for fraud related searches. Of all the terms analysed, ‘Barclays fraud’ and ‘Barclays fraud number’ came joint third with a search volume of 2,400 for each term.
HSBC isin fourth place. While it placed 38th globally in the Forbes ranking of the largest companies based on sales, profits, assets, and market value, the fraud search volume for HSBC takes a total of 5,540.
A spokesperson from VPN Overview tells Digital Journal: “Currently, there are an abundance of phishing scams circling looking to steal bank details and other personal information. These will aim to trick you via texts, emails, and even phone calls. While the study reflects that customers of these particular banks are more likely to be a victim of fraud, it’s crucial for everyone to be wary of these dangerous scams – regardless of whether their bank is listed in the top five.”
