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Last week, FNB issued a warning to its customers about an increase in the number of phishing attempts, whereby fraudsters attempt to obtain a customer’s personal banking details and other confidential information.
Phishing is a form of identity theft in which, once fraudsters obtain your personal information, they then use it to process fraudulent transactions from your banking account.
A reputable bank or financial institution will never ask you to update or confirm your personal or secret information, such as PINs or passwords, via an email or over the phone. Also, such institutions will never ask you for your personal login information via email, nor send you a link to access your internet banking or trading platform, as these emails can easily be copied by someone posing as a fraudster.
It is always best to input the URL (web address) into the browser address bar yourself.
Here are some tips to help protect you from phishing:
Never access internet banking or your securities account via a link. You should never respond or reply to email that:
- Requires you to enter personal information directly into the email or submit that information some other way.
- Threatens to close or suspend your account if you do not take immediate action by providing personal information.
- Solicits your participation in a survey where you are asked to enter personal information.
- States that your account has been compromised or there has been third party activity on your account, and requests you to enter or confirm information.
- Asks you to enter your user ID, password or account numbers into an email or unverified web page.
- Asks you to confirm, verify or refresh your account or your address information.
