A senior executive at HSBC Bermuda has warned of a “troubling” rise in fraud targeting everyday people.

Tanya Bule, head of wealth and personal banking, has stated on her LinkedIn page that the bank is seeing a rise in scammers posing as bank employees, calling customers and “walking them through” steps to supposedly protect their accounts.

“They are convincing,” Ms Bule wrote. “They are patient and they can cause real harm.”

Ms Bule said scammers often take advantage of the extra banking activity around the Cup Match holiday in Bermuda.

Senior citizens are disproportionately targeted by these scams, she said.

“The financial and emotional toll can be devastating,” the banker added. “A quick conversation with an older parent, grandparent or neighbour, reminding them never to share banking details and to hang up if they feel pressured could protect a lifetime of savings.”

Ms Bule reminded the public that HSBC Bermuda will never ask for your passcode or one-time passcode or for any information involved in accessing your accounts.

“If something feels off, the best thing is to trust that feeling,” she said. “Don’t try to reason it out while you are on the call. Simply hang up and call the HSBC contact centre directly at 299-5959.

“There are instances where the call could be legitimate, but we would always rather you be comfortable and confident in any interaction with our team.”

She added some of the hallmarks of fraudulent calls are:

• Someone claiming to be from HSBC contacts you urgently

• They guide you through transactions or security steps

• They ask for your internet banking username or passcode

• They request the one-time passcode sent to your phone

• They seek approval for transactions you did not initiate.