By Elizabeth Martin
Fraud not only causes financial loss but damages the essential trust which enables legitimate UK tracing services to return funds to the right people.
At Arkline, our beneficiary tracing projects depend on trust. Without it, beneficiaries are understandably cautious about replying to our letters or providing information that confirms their entitlement to funds from deceased bank customer estates.
Fraud has created a climate of suspicion that affects both the people we contact and our ability to help them. Each week, our trace team receives calls from individuals wanting reassurance that our letters are genuine. These enquiries reflect how fraud has undermined public confidence in legitimate tracing agents.
Fraud Awareness and Its Consequences
The 2024 government campaign, Stop! Think Fraud, has been invaluable in raising public awareness and helping people protect themselves from fraud. Supported by a dedicated website, the practical and informative advice is essential in addressing the significant increase in fraudulent activity.
However, the heightened caution the campaign promotes can create challenges for our UK tracing agency. When the public is advised to treat any unexpected contact as suspicious, genuine letters from Arkline may cause hesitation, concern, or even avoidance.
When Scam Tactics Resemble Legitimate Tracing Processes
The campaign outlines common psychological tactics used by fraudsters to manipulate their victims. Unfortunately, some of these naturally occur in our legitimate tracing work:
- Authority or trusted voice: The guidance warns that fraudsters use credible and official names to gain trust. As Arkline often work on behalf of financial institutions, these legitimate associations can raise suspicion.
- False urgency: Individuals are advised to distrust any contact with time pressure and strict deadlines. Our letters typically include a 10-day or 21-day response window for efficiency and regulatory reasons.
- Scarcity: The public is told to be hesitant of offers that appear rare or limited. Beneficiary tracing projects typically involve an unexpected entitlement linked to a single estate, which can be perceived as a scarce, one-off opportunity.
These similarities can make a genuine letter from our UK tracing services resemble the very warning signs people are encouraged to avoid.
The Challenge of Postal Fraud Advice
The campaign’s postal advice also advises caution regarding:
- Unfamiliar company names: Many beneficiaries will be encountering our trusted tracing service for the first time.
- Phone numbers listed on the letter: When beneficiaries are advised to distrust helplines in our letters, they cannot access the necessary support from Arkline or our client.
- Inaccurate spelling, low quality logos and design: These are warning signs we can control. As one of the UK leading tracing services, we work closely with our clients to ensure all communications meet high professional standards.
- The use of AI to make letters look legitimate: Even high quality letters, once a strong indicator of legitimacy, can now be associated with fraud. This means that the standards we uphold can no longer guarantee trust.
As a result, legitimate UK tracing companies must work harder to distinguish themselves from both poor-quality and high-quality fraud attempts, placing Arkline in a uniquely challenging position.
A Real Example of How Distrust Spreads on Public Forums
These challenges become even more apparent when beneficiaries turn to online public forums for guidance rather than contacting our tracing agency or the financial institution directly. Although forums are often used for reassurance, they can increase misinformation and reinforce uncertainty.
In one case, after receiving a legitimate letter from Arkline, a beneficiary asked on a public forum whether our UK tracing services were genuine. Several uninformed forum contributors responded with incorrect or speculative advice. Some even recommended returning the letter marked ‘addressee deceased’ or ‘not known at this address.’ Such actions would have prevented the beneficiary from receiving funds they were entitled to. These responses can create unnecessary doubt and could have discouraged further beneficiaries from responding to our communications.
In this instance, the beneficiary later verified the legitimacy of the project and updated the forum to confirm that their claim was genuine. While this positive update can help others gain reassurance, the earlier misinformation could have already influenced readers. This demonstrates how quickly distrust can spread when beneficiaries rely on online discussion instead of the official helplines provided in our letters.
Conclusion
Fraud has undoubtedly made it more challenging for genuine tracing agencies to be recognised, but they have also strengthened our commitment to clarity, transparency and compassionate service. At Arkline, we remain dedicated to rebuilding the trust that fraudsters undermine, ensuring that beneficiaries feel supported, informed and confident to respond to our tracing agency.
To find out more about our beneficiary tracing services click here.
Arkline also offers debtor tracing, process serving and means reports. Click here for further information.
Contact Pauline Belt at Arkline to discuss further on p.belt@arklineuk.co.uk or telephone 01937 831290.
