Online security and protecting yourself from fraud

Your data and online financial security are important to us, and we take our responsibility for keeping you as safe as possible extremely seriously. Explore our tips, fraud-prevention guidance and tools – all designed to keep you safe from the risk of fraud.

Do you think you've been a victim of fraud?

If you’re ever in any doubt about whether a communication you’ve received from us is genuine or you suspect fraudsters might be trying to access your money, please contact us straight away.

If you receive an email, text or phone call (claiming to be) from us asking for your personal or security information, please don’t reply or click on any links or attachments. Always contact us on a number which you can trust to advise of the contact you’ve received. Providing this information will help us to further reduce fraud and prevent any future attacks.

How you can protect yourself

We've joined other financial services providers in Take Five, an initiative led by Financial Fraud Action. Its aim is to encourage people to stop and take time to think before they act. You can find out more on the Take Five website, but always remember these five rules:

Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full banking password

Don't assume an email, text or phone call is authentic

Don’t be rushed – a genuine organisation won’t mind waiting

Listen to your instincts – you know if something doesn’t feel right

Stay in control – don’t panic and make a decision you’ll regret

Using FCA's ScamSmart is another way that can help you to avoid scams. The checker allows consumers to check whether investment and pensions are genuine.

Identity fraud

Identity theft happens when a fraudster has Obtained enough information about someone’s identity (such as their name, date of birth, current or previous address) to commit identity fraud. Fraudsters will utilise the information gained to obtain goods or services by deception. For example, they may try to:

Open bank accounts, or take over existing accounts
Obtain credit cards, loans or hire-purchase agreements

Order goods in your name

Obtain genuine documents such as passports and driving licences in your name

Unfortunately, you’ll often only become aware of identity fraud when you receive bills or invoices for things you haven’t ordered, or when letters are received from debt collectors for debts that aren’t yours.

Be careful about how much of your personal information is available online. Deactivate unused social media accounts and review the privacy settings on the ones which you do use to ensure your information is secure online. Think about what you share on social media too, such as date of birth and family members’ or pets’ names you also use in your passwords and never post details or images of your driver’s licence, passport, NI number or other confidential items

Never reveal private information in response to an email, text, letter or phone call unless you’re certain that the request is authentic. Call to check, on the number you know to be correct
Install the latest software, app and operating system updates on your computer and mobile devices, or better still, set them to update automatically. Make sure all your passwords are strong, keep them safe and don’t use the same password for more than one account. Use a strong and separate password for your email accounts

Don’t connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots when doing anything confidential online. File sensitive documents securely, and shred those you no longer need

Cifas Protective Registration

If you feel that you’ve had your identity compromised, you can request Protective Registration with an organisation known as Cifas. They’ll add a warning flag against your name and other personal details in their National Fraud Database. This tells any organisation that uses Cifas data to pay closer attention when your details are used to apply for their products or services. Knowing you’re at risk, they’ll carry out extra checks to make sure it’s really you that is applying, and not a fraudster using your details. You can find out more at Protective Registration | Identity Protection Service | Cifas

Shopping online

You should always remain vigilant when you shop online. Fraudsters may advertise goods or services which don’t exist or aren’t theirs to sell. They'll also try to mimic existing websites in order to appear legitimate.

It's really important to take a second to consider the transaction when dealing with a business you haven’t dealt with before and ask yourself:

Does it make sense for the goods to be advertised at that price?

Does it make sense that this business has stock when the leading retailers don’t?
Have you looked at reviews on recognised review sites to check other customers' experiences?

If you’re planning on buying a ticket to a gig or sporting event, make sure you purchase from a reputable source, usually affiliated to the event itself. If bought from an unauthorised seller, the tickets may be fraudulent and not actually exist.

Fake sellers will convince you to send the payment directly to their bank account instead of paying for the goods online. This is to ensure that the payment arrives to the fraudster directly and not via a payment provider who may stop the payment.

Never follow a link in an unexpected email. It’s always a good idea to check the spelling in the link to make sure it’s legitimate.

Research the seller, before proceeding with the transaction. Do some checks on the business to check they are genuine, and avoid those with poor ratings Question the quality of the seller’s website against recognised and reputable retailers; does it look professional? Is it what you would expect to see?

Money mules

Fraudsters may ask you to receive money into your bank account and transfer it into another account, keeping a percentage of the cash for yourself. This is the definition of what it means to be a ‘money mule’ or ‘money transfer agent’.

You might ask how this could happen to you. You could be approached by a fraudster online or in person. They might post what looks like a genuine job and then ask for your bank details. People often become money mules unwittingly. They might think they’re giving out their bank details for a genuine reason, then end up involved in money mule fraud.

Be wary of job offers where all interactions and transactions will be done online, typically advertised as ‘earning money from the comfort of your own home’. Be cautious of job adverts which advertise easy money with no experience required; if it sounds too good to be true it usually is. “Instent mony . Minimal hours.” – Be wary of job adverts that are written in poor English with spelling and grammatical errors.

Don’t provide your bank details to anyone unless you know and trust them – Research any job offer that makes you an offer and ensure their details are genuine.