Online Fraud
The Internet offers the opportunity to bank and to shop in safety whenever and wherever you want to.
Nearly 15 million people in the UK now use the Internet to access their bank accounts, and millions more regularly shop online.
The Internet is an extremely safe way of shopping and banking. However, security relies on vigilance and you should not relax your guard when you are online.
The majority of UK Internet users who bank and shop online are playing their part in making sure that they avoid becoming a victim of online fraud. But research commissioned by APACS shows that millions of Britons are not even aware of some of the basic online pitfalls from which they can easily protect themselves:
- One in eight online shoppers have failed to log out when shopping online, leaving their financial details available to others.
- One in four online shoppers do not check whether a website is safe and secure.
Banking online
Your chances of becoming a victim of online banking fraud are very low and banks are committed to keeping it this way. But because banks' own systems have proven difficult to attack, criminals have turned their attention to getting information directly from online banking customers themselves.
Criminals attack Internet users in a variety of ways, including:
- · Phishing – e-mails that pretend to be from your bank, urging you to click on a link that takes you to a fake website identical to that of your bank. You are then asked to to verify your personal security information.
- · Trojans – a type of computer virus which can be installed on your computer without your knowledge. They are capable of logging your keystrokes thereby capturing your passwords and other personal information.
For comprehensive information about banking safely online and tips to protect yourself go to www.banksafeonline.org.uk
Shopping online
More than seven out of ten Internet users have made a purchase online. It is a safe and convenient way to shop as the incidence of computer hackers stealing and using cardholder data from websites is very low. Most of Internet card fraud involves a criminal obtaining genuine card details in the real world that are then used to shop online.
The vast majority of businesses operating on the Internet are honest and legitimate organisations that apply best practice when processing information submitted online.
For comprehensive information about shopping safely online and tips to protect yourself go to www.cardwatch.org.uk
This article has been reproduced by kind permisson of APACS. It may not be further reproduced without their express consent |
