In previous years, many scams have involved debit and credit cards being used to commit fraud but scammers are increasingly focusing their activity on authorised push payment fraud, also known as payment diversion fraud.

Criminals are actively targeting property purchases, with the aim of tricking you into transferring them your house deposit and/or the balance of purchase monies to them.

These schemes can be highly sophisticated, and almost always involve the criminals pretending to be your lawyer in order to con you into diverting your payment to an account they control.

The National Crime Agency, Action Fraud, the National Economic Crime Centre and the Law Society have joined forces to produce guidance on how you can protect yourself from fraud when buying or selling property. 

Download their leaflet - Payment Diversion Fraud

This leaflet details some of the tactics used by would-be fraudsters and the steps you can take to protect yourself.

Remember - if there appears to be any change of payment details, always double check by calling your lawyer on a published telephone number before you transfer any money.