"Fighting frauds and scams" Article by Steve Marsten

Recently we have again become aware of a number of our clients and their customers who have been targeted via ‘online fraud’. This is a pertinent reminder that scams attempting to deliberately deceive you or your customers are still operating and remain effective.

We know the financial services industry has been constantly targeted over the past twelve months.

The term 'online/telecommunications fraud' refers to any type of fraud scheme that uses email, websites, chat rooms, phone or message boards to present fraudulent solicitations to prospective victims to conduct fraudulent transactions or to transmit the proceeds of fraud to financial institutions.

You may be aware of some recent threats that include emails being sent to mobile phone devices that requested the download of a security certificate. This download installs a malicious application onto the mobile phone which can forward on personal details and SMS messages received.

Another common threat involves links within emails. Some links are not always what they seem. They can lead to websites that download unsafe software such as spyware, releasing a virus onto your system to find out your personal information.

How to protect yourself – please feel free to forward this information to your clients

1.     To check where a link will really take you, hover your mouse icon over the link. The real address should appear in the bottom left corner of your screen.

A secure website address will always:

•             Begin with ‘https://’, not ‘http://’

•             Display the image of a closed padlock. The location of the closed padlock is dependent on the browser, but generally is located near the URL bar. 

Please note extreme care must be taken before any personal details are provided.

2.     Always check that you’re on a secure website before making a payment

3.     Never click on any links or open any attached files in a spam email

4.     Always keep strict privacy settings on social networking sites

5.     Don’t respond to text messages or missed calls that come from numbers you don’t recognise

At Sothertons we treat personal information like diamonds. WE regularly update our system to ensure that we minimise the risk of coming under attack from outside influences. Contact us on 4972 1300 to discuss what measures you can take to minimise your risk.