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Phishing
The Scam:
"You need to verify your internet banking details. Click on the link below to log in to your Internet bank and verify your information."
The Solution:
Never log on to your Internet bank by clicking a link in an email. Always be very careful about clicking on any link in any email.
More information
What are phishing mails?
Phishing mails are spam emails purporting to come from a bank, asking you to confirm some details relating to your bank account or credit card. The email will contain a link to a website, and a request to click on this link in order to enter the information they have asked you for. If you were to click on the link (DON’T TRY IT!), you would see what appeared to be a perfectly normal Internet bank login page for one of the major banks. Of course, the link has taken you not to the bank’s real website, but to a clever copy, hosted by a fraudster, and if you were to enter your details, these would instantly be used to access your real bank account and steal your money. The picture below shows a typical phishing email:
How can I tell if a mail claiming to be from my bank is genuine?
Firstly, as far as we know, no genuine bank will ever email you with a link to their online bank and a request to log on. The safest thing is NEVER to click on any link in an email claiming to be from your bank. ALWAYS access your bank account online in the normal way, by typing the address into Internet Explorer.
Many phishing mails give themselves away by the use of poor English, or simply a very unusual style of writing. If in any doubt, do not reply to the email, simply close it, and contact your bank through the normal channels.
Is phishing the only type of dangerous link in spam emails?
No. As well as stealing your Internet banking details, links in spam emails can be used to download trojans, i.e. malicious software disguised as something you want. The email might use all sorts of ways to trick you into clicking on the link, such as promising games, pictures, screensavers and so on. The spam mail below suggests that you need to click on the links to download pictures, or unsubscribe from their "service". We don't know what's at the end of these particular links, but we're sure it's nothing good.
