Protect yourself, your identity and your finances
Your personal information is valuable, so you should treat it just as you would any valuable item. Crimes like identity theft are increasing and it is ever more important for you to safeguard your information. You can help keep your information more secure by following these guidelines:
- Be extremely wary of unsolicited phone calls, letters or emails pretending to be from your bank, building society or other financial institution asking you to confirm personal details, online passwords or security details.
- Check your passbook, statement or online account records carefully. If you find an unfamiliar transaction, contact your bank, building society or card company immediately.
- Only divulge your card details in a telephone transaction when you have instigated the call and are familiar with the company.
- Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall installed.
- Store your statements, receipts, passbooks, cheque book and documents that contain information relating to your financial affairs safely and destroy or preferably shred them when you dispose of them.
- Access Internet banking or shopping sites by typing the address into your web browser. Never go to a website from a link in an email and then enter personal details.
- When entering personal details online make sure that the security icon (locked padlock or unbroken key symbol) is showing in your browser window.
- When entering your PIN in a shop or at a cash machine try to use your spare hand to shield the number from prying eyes or hidden cameras.
The Financial Ombudsman Service is urging people to talk to vulnerable relatives, friends and neighbours about the risk of being scammed following the publishing of a report that suggests people over the age of 55 could be four times more likely to be caught out by "vishing" or a "no-hang up" scam. In the report, the ombudsman reviewed 200 cases involving a ‘vishing’ or no hang-up scam - where fraudsters pose as the police or banks to deceive consumers.
Vishing, like many scams, can leave people feeling powerless, as often there’s little people can do to get their money back.
Fraud is something that can happen to any of us. In fact, people who are financially proficient and avid users of the internet are just as likely to be at risk.
The hints and tips below will help people to protect themselves from financial fraud:
- Never give out personal or banking information when answering an incoming call, and don’t always rely on the Caller ID for identification.
- If you’re in any doubt about the identity of a caller claiming to be from your bank, building society or the police, hang up and call the phone number on your account statements, back of your debit or credit card, in the phone book, or on the company's website. Use a different phone or wait at least five minutes before making the call to make sure you’re not speaking to the same fraudsters.
- Call you and ask you to authorise the transfer of money to a new account or hand over cash
- Ask for your PIN or passwords in full on the phone or via email, including keying your PIN into the phone keypad
- Send someone to your home to collect cash, bank cards or anything else
- Ask you to send personal or banking information via email or text
- Send an email with a link to a page which asks you to enter your online banking log-in details
- Ask you to carry out a test transaction online
If at anytime you believe someone has obtained, or tried to obtain, details of your Society accounts or your personal information please let us know by telephoning 01633 844 340.
If you want to know more about keeping yourself safe from fraud, we suggest the following websites which contain lots of information on ways to help you keep your financial information secure:
