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Phishing

‘Phishing’ refers to fraudulent messages usually sent via email used to gain illicit access to personal and banking information.

These messages appear to come from legitimate businesses, most commonly financial institutions.  They are designed to lure recipients into disclosing personal data such as bank account numbers, passwords and credit card numbers which are then used to commit fraud.

Phishing messages and emails often look authentic.  They pretend to come from a financial institution or other company and have a believable email address.  They often copy that institution's logo and message format.  It is common for phishing messages to contain links to a website that is a convincing replica of the company's home page.

How to avoid a 'phish'

• Never provide personal details, including customer ID or passwords or your credit card number or 4-digit credit card code, in response to any email or call. Financial institutions including banks and credit card companies will never initiate a call or email asking you for your personal details.
• Only access your bank’s Internet banking logon page by typing the address into your browser. Never click on a link or attachment in an email which looks authentic and sends you to what may look like a bank’s website.
• Be wary of any email from someone you do not know or trust. Delete without opening.
• Most ‘phishing’ emails do not address you by your proper name as they are sent out as bulk to thousands of recipients. They sometimes contain typing errors and grammatical mistakes. However, they sometimes include the banks’ registered logos and can look very professional.  

If you have responded to a phishing email, you should contact your financial institution as soon as possible.