When you send money with us we do everything in our power to ensure that your money is safe at all times. However, whenever you send money online you are exposed to cybercrime and online fraud. It is important to know what to look out for and to always be cautious when you send money online. In order to keep you safe we have outlined some simple steps you can take to protect yourself whenever you are planning to send money online.
Always be cautious if you receive a text, call or email from someone requesting any of your personal or financial information, such as your name, address, bank details or phone number. Always contact the company directly to check that it is really them that is asking you for this information – it might be a scam.
You should never send money to someone that you do not know personally. You should only use online money transfer services to send money to people that you know and trust. These platforms are not suitable for the payment of goods and services – if someone is requesting that you send them money in this way in exchange for goods then be very wary of this as it could be a scam.
Always make sure you have installed the latest software and app updates on all of your devices. Make sure that your email account is protected with a strong password and use anti-virus software to protect your computer and personal information from hackers.
Phishing is when you are contacted by someone pretending to be a bank, government or other authority body which is asking you to send them personal information. Banks and other official institutions will never contact you asking for your information or for you to confirm your information with them – this is a trick to get you to provide your information. Be very wary of emails and contact like this, even if it appears to look genuine and professional. If you are not sure, then contact the official contact information of the body that has contacted you to check. Never click on any links that these emails contain.
You should regularly check your bank statements and other financial records to see if there is anything in there that you do not recognise. Many fraudsters target people by stealing incremental amounts of money at a time, so as not to alarm the victim. However, if this goes unnoticed over a period of time victims can unwittingly be being robbed for a long time. Double check your statements to ensure that you recognise all of the transactions that have been coming out of your account, and if there is something that you do not recognise then contact your bank immediately.
If you are contacted regarding a deal that seems too good to be true, then be careful. It probably is. By very wary of emails or calls out of the blue offering you deals and offers that seem too good to be true. Listen to your instinct and always question offers like this. Trusted organisations would never contact you repeatedly regarding specific deals, so if something feels wrong then trust your instincts.
If you have received suspicious correspondence or if you spot something online that you suspect to be fraud, then report it immediately. The more reports are made about online fraud, the better it can be dealt with so that other people do not become victims of online crime.