Useful Information

Staying safe online

Protecting yourself online provides you with the security needed to deny criminal misappropriation and therefore criminal gain. As a basic rule, you should:

obtain web or e-mail addresses from official correspondence and type it in yourself; DO NOT rely on or click links in e-mails or text messages

confirm if a financial services firm is authorised by checking the Financial Conduct Authority’s register either by searching 'FCA financial services register' and following the links or at https://register.fca.org.uk/s/

obtain from the financial services business its Firm Reference Number (‘FRN’) and its contact details, which can be cross-referenced to the FCA register at https://register.fca.org.uk/s/

always call back regulated businesses on the switchboard number shown on the FCA website

beware of subtle punctuation changes, for example the removal or insertion of a hyphen or other character or letter. An attempt to clone Sanford DeLand’s website might present as www.sanforddeland.com i.e. without the hyphen between the words Sanford and DeLand

look for the padlock in the address bar when you click through to a genuine site

website payments pages, and usually the pages before, will begin ‘https’, together with the padlock symbol in the address bar

government online services should begin, ‘https://www.gov.uk/...’ (see the link for Companies House in the table below, by way of example)

use https://haveibeenpwned.com/ to regularly check if your e-mail address has been compromised as a result of a data breach

contact ActionFraud if you have been scammed, defrauded or experienced cybercrime in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. If you are in Scotland, contact Police Scotland directly

visit the ActionFraud website to learn more about the various categories and the A - Z of frauds

visit the Take Five to Stop Fraud website to learn more about and protect against financial fraud

Use the FCA Firm Checker to check a financial firm is authorised and permitted to provide the services you want

The above is not intended to be exhaustive. Instead, it serves as a basis to good practice online.

IF AN INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!

If you deal with an unauthorised firm, you will have NO PROTECTION from the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, if something should go wrong.

Sanford DeLand Asset Management Limited is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Red Flags and Warning Signs

You should be alert to red flags or warning signs, which we have set out in the table below, together with the steps you can take that should help you to stay safe.

Red flag or warning sign
How can I protect myself?

Red Flag or warning sign

Unexpected contact or repeat calls
How can I protect myself?

E-mails should be ignored, or sent to the genuine firm’s fraud team. If you received a cold call, HANG UP then check your line isn’t open by ringing your number from a trusted device.

Red Flag or warning sign

Requests for your PIN or password
How can I protect myself?

Genuine organisations e.g. banks, building societies, the police etc. WILL NEVER ask for these details.

Red Flag or warning sign

Requests for personal details or financial information
How can I protect myself?

Unless for a service you have asked for and you want, you SHOULD NOT provide any personal or financial information

Red Flag or warning sign

Tempting returns that sound too good to be true
How can I protect myself?

If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your instinct; DO NOT proceed.

Red Flag or warning sign

Offers of assurance about risks involved
How can I protect myself?

If you are told not to worry about the risks associated with an investment, DO NOT simply accept it to be true.

Red Flag or warning sign

Exclusive offers
How can I protect myself?

Any suggestion that an offer is exclusive to you, or if you are asked not to tell anyone about an opportunity, is a clear sign the opportunity is NOT GENUINE.

Red Flag or warning sign

Unnecessary pressure
How can I protect myself?

DON’T BE PRESSURED into accepting an offer that is time-limited or that makes available a bonus or discount before a set date. Genuine regulated businesses will give you time to think.

Red Flag or warning sign

Persistent calls and attempts to form relationships to build trust
How can I protect myself?

BEWARE of repeat callers and attempts to keep you on the phone for long periods. These are signs the caller is seeking to gain your trust to get you to transfer or pay monies away.

Red Flag or warning sign

E-mails that appear to be from genuine financial services firms
How can I protect myself?

Use the FCA register to verify the company and the FCA’s warning list to search for unauthorised firms. Contact details can also be checked with Companies House or directory enquiries.

Red Flag or warning sign

Overseas firms offering investment opportunities
How can I protect myself?

Some firms operating frauds do so from overseas. BE CAUTIOUS if a company based overseas contacts you.

Red Flag or warning sign

Unrecognised e-mail addresses
How can I protect myself?

Any unrecognised e-mail address should be VERIFIED independently by contacting the genuine firm to validate the sender’s details.

Red Flag or warning sign

Requests to make or verify changes on your account
How can I protect myself?

If you are asked to make or verify changes, you should CONFIRM with your provider, using trusted contacted details, what you are being asked to do.

Red Flag or warning sign

Recovery services offered after a successful fraud
How can I protect myself?

If you have been the victim of fraud, the same fraudsters may contact you offering to recover stolen funds on payment of an upfront fee. DO NOT pay any further monies away.

Red Flag or warning sign

Requests to download third party software to enable remote third party virus removal and/or provide remote third party technical support
How can I protect myself?

Legitimate businesses, including your internet service provider, will NOT contact you to request that you download software to enable remote access. Doing so may provide criminals with the ability to remotely access any personal information you may have stored on your home computer or other device(s).

Staying safe online

Red Flags and Warning Signs

Red flag or warning sign

How can I protect myself?