Security Centre

Suspicious Emails Fraudsters have been sending fake emails for a number of years. The aim is to get the reader to click on a link, which will either direct the reader to a fake website that looks like a genuine company asking for your card details or may install malware on your device. These emails have vastly improved in quality and can be very difficult to spot. They will pretend to come from well known institutions, such as banks, HMRC, utilities and retailers.

A simple scam that has resulted in many victims losing thousands of pounds continues to target both companies and individuals. The fraudster tricks the victim into paying them rather than the supplier by changing the bank account payee details of a genuine supplier. It may be a payment that is expected, or a new payment request. Usually the fraudster has researched enough information to make this seem convincing. Always verify any changes with the supplier using established details. The request can be received by email, phone, letter or even look like an internal email.

Free public WIFI is widely available. However it is not secure and can easily be exploited by fraudsters. There has been a rise in fraudsters sitting in coffee shops, airport lounges and public spaces waiting for people to use the public WIFI, as they are able to intercept anything you are doing online, which can include capturing your passwords and emails. Fraudsters are also creating fake WIFI hotspots which can look like the genuine one. Twitter is also being used, with fraudsters monitoring tweets and responding as though it is a genuine company response, perhaps including links to a compensation form, which is actually a fake link. It is advisable to use 4G or VPN (Virtual Private Network) rather than public WIFI, especially when accessing private information. Social media is a great resource for fraudsters to gather information to perpetrate fraud. Be careful what you share and what others share about you in their posts.