The bank is also encouraging people not to be rushed into making a snap decision and to hang up the phone and call their bank using the number on the back of their card.

Many Britons reported receiving a scam email recently purportedly from Santander, which features the bank’s red and white logo.

The fake email has the title “We’re changing the way you log on to Online Banking”, and people have shared screenshots of the bogus message on Twitter.

One person said on Twitter they had received the fraudulent email three times, which includes the message: “We’re making some changes to how you log on to Online Banking as a result of new regulation which affects the whole banking sector.