Beware of Online Conmen

Diigo

INTERNET bank users were today urged to be on their guard for identity thieves trying to trick them into revealing crucial passwords. Electronic conmen are behind a flood of e-mails circulating Birmingham warning people that an attempt had been made to breach their on-line accounts.

The e-mails ask people to click on a link and update security passwords, insisting that if the records are not updated online accounts will be suspended.

But the messages are simply a con designed to re-direct users to phoney websites where their personal details can be hijacked.

Amazingly, some crooks have also cheekily included warnings not to share passwords with other people.

Other messages ask for information to be updated in order to "reduce the instance of fraud" on websites. But once armed with log-in details and passwords, crooks are free to raid the accounts of unsuspecting members of the public. Some people have seen thieves steal thousands of pounds of savings.

Det Sgt John Lighton, from the Economic Crime Unit, said people should be wary of such messages and never divulge personal details.

He said: "There are professionals out there using technology to try and gain personal information for criminal gain. "But the public should be aware that with more and more of us using internet banking that this sort of thing is going on.

"Banks will never asked for personal banking information such as pin numbers or passwords by unsolicited e-mails. "If they receive such e-mails they should delete them and inform their service provider that they are getting them."

Diigo