Today I have received two different email messages from services@nationwide. The first one was relating to my current bank account informing me there was a problem with my details and asking me to update. The page was like a normal page from my bank - no spelling mistakes - no suspicions. I put in my ID number and password then hit "continue". I was then asked for my memorable data - I was then suspicious. I telephoned my bank and they confirmed it is fraudulent. The second one came from the same regarding another account I used to have telling me i had 24 hours to update my info - needless to say i ignored it. So a warning to all, do not reply to services@nationwide

Linda, JSYK.... it doesn't matter if it is a Nationwide looking email, Santander, Chase, Unicaja, Black Horse, websites or not, NO bank is going to ask you to enter your username and password from an email. These scams have been going on for a few years now and the downside is if they do little to stop it.

99% of people just do not realise how simple it is to copy a website and even use the images pulling them directly from the actual banks server for the web page (the banks assisting the scammer in their scam), this can be done in several minutes sometimes, create a database to take your info (15 minutes) that you give them and then a small redirect in the database query script to direct you to the REAL banks page after you have given the info, so simple and yet practically noting is dome by banks to create proper security.

1# If you do not need online banking then do not activate it.

2# If you do need it then use only a bank that sends sms alerts on a transfer of funds or on someone logging into your account, otherwise change your bank to one that has a bit better security.

It seems a joke that when many online processing accounts (not banks) will send you a notification when you log in to your account but that very few banks will send the same very basic warning when someone accesses their online bank account, I really find this difficult to conceive.

I know someone who DID NOT give out their login info this way but suspects the login to the banks page was sniffed out by some type of listener application, they lost 24,000 euros, the legal system did not do anything to the 2 account holders whose accounts where used as the stepping stone (on 10% commision) because they have no property the legal system didn't want to pay to jail them so they are free to do the same again and probably have since, on top of this the bank doesn't want to know and the people who lost the money are now starting a legal process to take the bank to court.... this fraud happened 3 years ago and it has taken this time to take the ****'s who moved the money on to be taken to court.

All sounds great online banking but just be aware of the pitfalls, if you don't need it then don't even think of it because banks cannot give 100% security in their online software, sometimes when I see some of the systems I wonder if they even try.

Finally... you have let your bank know, great... but have you changed your password and signature key that you use to access your account and make transfers? if not then do this NOW.

Not a nationwide looking email. My bank is lloyds tsb, the email came from services@nationwide, the email looked like an official Lloyds letter. I was nearly caught so thought others might be as well, hence the reason for sharing this. The other came from services@nationwide and was for HSBC bank which i closed 18 months ago. Yes i have changed my login details

Great, that is how others do not get caught out the same way.

You will find it didn't come from services@nationwide but just made to look like it did, this is a common tactic of spammers and fraudsters...

the thing at the end of the day is for people to understand that they should NEVER give out access to any online account to anyone or anything, even sitting at a desk in your bank you will NEVER be asked for this info, you may be asked for two or three of the chars but not the full info.

When people log into their bank account they should make sure the domain is EXACTLY the domain AND dot NOTATION as it should be.

BTW, if you have a way of looking at the email headers you will generally find there is an address not related to the domain of the company it was sent from when dealing with fraudulant mail, like why would PayPal send an email from a gmail, yahoo or hotmail account for example, or a lotto win for your email address that has been sent to UNDISCLOSED RECEIPENTS... right, how many people have my email address!

Sadly I think the best way to look at it is not to trust anything to do with the internet... glad it didn't lead to any problems.

Gods, the number of these I get. Apparently I have a number of accounts in several banks, all of whom urgently require me to send them my details.

I simple delete anything like that unopened.

Linda, it is a pity you got stung, they are trying all the time. Econ is a bit OTT in my opinion. I use internet banking all the time and the opposite happened to me. Went to buy a flight on line and my card was refused and then refused again. I phoned my bank and was told that probably during my last recent visit to the UK my card was cloned and they tried to hit my account but the bank's system alerted them and the card was cancelled within milliseconds. My new card was already in the post and it just sod's law that I wanted to buy a flight that day. I used another card from another bank and all was OK. With all this internet stuff, never reply to an e.mail and in case of problems never put all your chicks in the same basket, get a few different credit cards so you have a failsafe in case of need.
Saludos

I realised it was dodgy in time. I nearly fell for it and simply put this message on to warn others who might be "caught". Last Sunday i got a call from my bank asking if I authorised £4,800 jewellery from America - boy was I shocked.Fraud dept realised as unusual spend on my card (mastercard).They told me 1p had been spent in carphonewarehouse,several x 50p to kodak in India, £1 to oxfam - this is seemingly done to see if the card works, then whoever tried for the jewellery. Luckily I am not being held responsible for these amounts,card stopped,new one issued. If it hadn't been for this incident last Sunday I would probably not have been suspicious with the emails today

No disrespect El Capitan, but being extremely careful about internet security is never OTT and thinking it is, is very naive. hopefully you will never find out the hard way and hopefully your post doesn't misguide others into thinking it is not something they need to be concerned about, because it is.

Equally Econ, I did say a bit OTT. Internet banking is a must for many of us and it is possible to take security seriously and use internet banking well. For example always clear cookies and temp internet files and then run anti spyware before logging on to your internet bank and never use a public computer to do so. The threat is always there and just like avoiding the pickpocket you can live life and be as secure as it is possible to be.


ps Linda, glad your bank supported you when your details were stolen.
Not a pleasant experience.

1. Keep your personal details secret
The key when it comes to avoiding credit card fraud is to ensure that your personal details are as well kept as possible. This means that you should never tell anyone else your PINs or your passwords. Similarly, you shouldn’t write any private financial information down. If you have trouble remembering PINs, change them to something more memorable but try to avoid using easily identifiable, obvious numbers like birthdays.

2. Cover your tracks
You should always destroy, and shred whenever possible, any documents and receipts that contain personal financial information when getting rid of them. Don’t just throw them out with the rest of your rubbish or in bins in the street.

3. Get extra protection
If you use MasterCard or Visa you can register for their online protection schemes, MasterCard SecureCode and Verified by Visa. It doesn’t cost you anything, and once you have registered, your individual password will have to be entered as well as the normal card details in order to complete any online transactions.
Check with your bank to see if they offer any similar schemes with their debit cards, or visit the Mastercard website for more details on SecureCode or the Visa website to register for Verified by Visa.

4. Protect your PC
Having up-to-date and reliable anti virus and firewall software is essential when protecting yourself from online fraud. Using a phishing filter can also help to protect your transactions by checking each website against phishers who attempt to fraudulently acquire information such as passwords and credit card details. Anti virus software also protects you from Trojan viruses that attempt to capture sensitive information as it’s entered into a website. But remember to regularly update your virus definitions so that you’re always protected against emerging threats.
Some internet providers offer free anti virus and firewall software as part of their packages..

5. Beware of cold callers
Your bank would never call you out of the blue asking for passwords and other personal information, so remember the basic rule here: if you didn’t instigate the call you should never divulge financial information, PIN numbers or passwords over the phone.

6. Stay secure online
You should never follow a link from an email and enter any financial details or passwords. Always log in for your internet banking or online shopping sites by typing the address into your browser.
Phishing emails, as they’re known, claim to be from your bank, or something like Ebay or Paypal, and ask you to verify you account details. But these organizations would never ask you to do this via email and advise customers to delete any such emails.
You should also be careful about the sites that you use and try to only use secure sites. Look out for the locked padlock or unbroken key symbols in your browser window.

7. Be cautious in shops too
It’s not just online or on the phone that you can be vulnerable to fraud. If you’re using chip and pin you should always use your spare hand to shield the keypad from prying eyes or hidden cameras.
And always be careful and vigilant at cash points too – shield the keypad from people queuing along side or behind you and never use a cash point if it looks like it has been tampered with.

8. Be vigilant
You need to take the time to go over your credit and debit card statements to make sure that you haven’t been the victim of fraud. It’s not just huge amounts of money that goes missing from people’s accounts; often small amounts are filtered off as people are less likely to notice. You should also file and keep your statements until you’re sure that you no longer need them, at which point you need to destroy them.

9. Cover yourself
The increasing rise in fraud, phishing and identity theft has led to the emergence of a new type of insurance; identity theft cover. An array of banks on the high street are now offering cover in case someone steals your identity and obtains credit or opens bank accounts pretending to be you. As far fetched as it might sound, identity fraud is on the increase but you can avoid it by taking the above steps. And if you’re still concerned you could insure yourself against it.
However you should note that the press has made much about these policies praying on people’s fears since banks already refund any money lost in the case of identity fraud. However it can offer help in rectifying your credit rating and paying any solicitors fees needed to clear your name.

10. If you do experience fraud…
Contact your bank immediately. The emergency 24 hour number will be on your last statement and the sooner you report it to your bank, the sooner your funds will be returned. You will also need to cancel your card and get a new one which can take a few weeks.
It’s a good idea to try to find out how the money left your account so that you can be extra careful next time. Banks are committed to looking after your money and will refund you as long as you took reasonable care – such as the steps above – not to leave yourself open to fraud. They investigate all cases and you won’t get your money back if they find that you have given out your personal details such as PINs and passwords, or that you didn’t report a lost card immediately.
For more information and advice on avoiding credit card fraud contact your local bank or visit the CardWatch website.
Remember they are all out there by taking a few minutes to take care of your cash can save you hours trying to fight your way through Spanish and legal red tape.

It may have been stated here somewhere and I missed it but never log on to your bank account in an internet cafe.

Posh, that is a damn good stack of advice.

I never allow a piece of paper out the house that even has my name and address on without cross shredding it, never mind some of the stuff people chuck away without a care in the world.

What is really terrifying is how some apparently trivial piece of paper can be so dangerous.

Airline ticket stubs for example. Some of those are an open door into your financial life.

I get a reglar e mail from my UK bank to say that a new paper has been added to my account, this is always a statement, BUT I can't acces my account from this e mail, I must go to my normal bank site. AND they always state that they like all other banks will NEVER ask for any security details via e mail. I receive no end of e mails about my accounts with banks I have never banked with, and I just delete ALL.

One of the pieces of advice we used to give out when I worked for the police was to never ever use a link in one of these emails.
If your bank genuinely needs you to access your account you will have the lknk you need already stored somewhere and you should access it from that. Never use the link in an email, but open a browser window and input the link into that yourself.
You will then know that you are entering your login details into the bank's own site, and not into a dubious link embedded into an spam email.

I watched one of those progs where a copper went and picked a rubbish bag at random, and took it back to the station. He went thru the contents, and in 5 minutes had enough paperwork and account details to destroy the guy.

He then went back, knocked on the guy's dor and told him that given what he had just thrown away, a fraudster could ruin him. The guy did look a little bit gobsmacked.

PAY ATTENTION, BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT.

When we rented a car each time in Spain, we were given the pink duplicate of the rental form which had the company details, phone no etc, and which I always kept in the glove compartment. When the rent was over, I would remove it and put it in my pocket to shred when I got home.

This particular time, when I got home I realised I had two copies of the pink form, because the previous renter had left his behind. I was just running my eyes over the form when I realised just what was on it.

The pink form carried your name, your address, your date of birth and best of all, the complete Barclaycard number.

I went to directory enquiries, got the guy's phone no and rang him to warn him that he should be a little more careful the next time.

Just think what I could have done with that info!