What is Financial Abuse?
Financial abuse or scams involve someone using deception, pressure, manipulation or unauthorised access to take, control or misuse another person's money, finances or personal information. This can include fraudulent schemes, online scams, coercion to provide money, identity theft or exploiting a person's financial circumstances for personal gain.
Examples of Financial Abuse and Scams
- Online, telephone, text or email scams designed to steal money or personal information
- Phishing messages or fake websites impersonating trusted organisations
- Identity theft or misuse of someone's personal or financial details
- Unauthorised access to bank accounts or financial records
- Pressure, coercion or manipulation to give money, loans or gifts
- Fraudulent investment, cryptocurrency or get-rich-quick schemes
- Romance scams or other scams that exploit trust and relationships
- Misuse of a person's bank card, funds or financial resources
- Financial exploitation of someone who is vulnerable or dependent
Find Out More
For more information, including how to protect yourself and report scams, see the Fraud and Scams page on Hallam's Student Funding website.
Refuge, the national domestic abuse charity, has information on help and support for Economic Abuse.