In the UK alone there are 21 million people using online banking. It is convenient and most transactions are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
The burning question is - is it safe?
Thieves can access your online account details in mainly two ways. The phishing scam and password theft.
Phishing is sending an email with a link to a fake website that looks like your banks website and password theft is undertaken by getting you to install key logging software that records every stroke of you keyboard and sends the details remotely.
My bank account was subject to fraud not so long ago and it turned out I had been scammed via a fake website. It was my bank that discovered it and offered some excellent advice on how to protect my online banking activity.
How to Bank Safely Online
There are several steps you can take to ensure the safety of your online bank account.
1. Protect your computer with good security software. Most banks now offer this for free.
2. Never give your login details to anyone especially not by phone or email.
3. Never click on a link in an email that is supposedly from your bank.
4. Avoid using public computers to access your online bank account.
5. Check that the padlock symbol is present in your browser before entering any account details.
These are my top tips summarised from the advice I got from my bank. Although these may sound like common sense it is all too easy to forget a simple thing like logging out properly after using a public computer or checking that the web address begins with https meaning a secure connection.
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