v AVAILABLE ON ALL DEVICES v 6th August 2026 • The HERALD • Page 75 Are you ready for Making Tax Digital? Sole Trader - Limited Company Self Assessment, Accounts, Payroll Please call Johanna on 023 8089 9365 ASK A PROFESSIONAL Leeds Building Society’s branch in Southampton o ers free fraud clinics, o ering practical guidance as scams become more sophisticated. Since the scheme was rst launched a year ago, the Society has carried out over 2,000 appointments across its network of 51 branches. e ongoing one-to-one sessions help people to improve their nancial resilience and learn how to protect themselves against fraud. A new report into the social value of branches, in partnership with the Building Societies Association and RealWorth, suggests early intervention has helped avoid tens of millions of pounds in fraud losses contributing towards £286 million in wider social value through the Society’s services and initiatives such as fraud clinics. The 30-minute fraud clinic sessions can be booked via telephone or at any of the Society’s 51 branches, including the Southampton branch. ey are run by specially trained colleagues who take people through the most common nancial crimes and o er expert advice on how to protect themselves, covering everything from online banking and card fraud to scam mail and APP fraud. Leeds Building Society’s branches continue to serve as vital community anchors for in-person customers as high street bank branch access remains important for many people. e Society’s fraud clinics play an important role in this, helping people to feel more informed and con dent in protecting themselves against scams. As high street banking continues to contract and digital exclusion remains a real challenge for many, the Society’s commitment to maintaining a physical, people-centred presence makes a substantial di erence to the nancial security, wellbeing, and community life of the people it serves. Stephen Senior, Head of Financial Crime Prevention at Leeds Building Society, said: “Scams are becoming more sophisticated and more personalised so staying safe can feel increasingly difficult. The fraud landscape is always evolving, and our fraud clinics are designed to give people the knowledge and confidence they need to spot the warning signs. We want to help our members and the general public feel more confident about how to protect themselves from financial crime. Having a presence in Southampton and 50 other locations across the UK means that we can use our position in the community to deliver workshops that give people the tools and knowledge to spot potential scams. Helping over 2,000 people in just a year shows how high the demand is for this kind of support. By offering this guidance face-to-face in our branches, we’re helping people stay safe and talk to us directly about any concerns they have, which is vital when so many bank branches are disappearing from our high streets.” James McGowan, Principal Consultant at RealWorth, said: “Our research found that building society branches deliver significant social value through their role in preventing scams. We repeatedly heard from customers how staff’s understanding of their usual banking behaviour enabled them to spot unusual requests, ask the right questions, and intervene before any financial harm could occur. The role of branch colleagues remains incredibly important in protecting customers from increasingly sophisticated scams.” For more information about the Societies fraud clinics, visit: https://www. leedsbuildingsociety. co.uk/home-andmoney/members/ fraud-clinics-learn-howto-protect-yourselffrom-scams-/ Building Society’s Branches Help Over 2,000 People Avoid Scams Leed Building Society has helped over 2,000 people avoid scams
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