Phishing protection

Phishing is an attempt to steal your personal information or money, or get you to download a virus that infects your computer. It can be done by email, and there are some things to look out for if you are suspicious:

• Do you recognise the sender’s email address?
• Are you being asked to update or re-enter your personal or bank details? Remember – no bank will ask you to provide this information by email.
• Do any links or URLs look legitimate?

You can find out more about staying safe from phishing here: How to avoid a phishing attack.

Malicious software (malware) is a program designed to damage your computer or steal information from it. Ransomware and Trojan horses are common types.

Malware can be spread by email, but there are things you can do to help protect your accounts from malware.

• If you don’t recognise the sender of an email, be cautious about opening it.
• Think twice before clicking on any links in emails or opening attachments.
• Double-check files before downloading or opening them.
• Look out for a sender’s email address you don’t recognise, details of transactions or events you haven’t been involved in, and appealing attachments you weren’t expecting. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.
• Keep your computer and software up to date.
• Use trusted anti-virus software.