Beware of scammers

Stay safe online 
Ever more sophisticated phones and computers are constantly being launched. Sadly, the scammers have upgraded too...

With a little effort and care, it is far less likely that you will get caught out -  please take a few minutes to read through some hints and tips to help you keep safe online.

1. Use strong passwords – Use upper-case characters, lower-case characters, special characters, and numbers. Avoid simple ones such as sequential numbers or personal information that is easily identifiable. Where possible we also suggest the use of a password manager, to ensure safe passwords are used on separate sites and services.

2. Avoid using public Wi-Fi when transmitting sensitive data. Just wait until you get home or create a hotspot on your phone, if you're using a laptop.

3. Only use sites that contain HTTPS in the address. That 'S' ensures the data is secure and encrypted.

4. Utilize two-factor authentication where possible. (whereby you are emailed or texted a second security number for additional verification).

5. Keep your identity safe. Don’t provide personal or financial data to anyone unless you know the identity of that person or that the website is legitimate and secure. 

6. Regularly update your phone, tablet or PC. These updates tend to include the latest security updates too.

7. Secure your home WIFI network with a strong password.

8. Even if an email looks legitimate, double check it. Hover your mouse over a sender’s email address, or a link within the email, to check if it looks legitimate. Is the email written well (punctuation, spelling etc), do you have to open an attachment at all?

If you want to find out more or suspect that you have been a victim of fraudulent activity, there are several resources for you. Some of these are:

FCA warning list of known firms running scams or operating without authorisation: www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart/warning-list
FCA register to verify an adviser is a genuinely authorised firm/person https://register.fca.org.uk/
City of London police to report Fraud www.cityoflondon.police.uk/ro/report/fo/fraud
The National Cyber Security Centre/ Cyber Aware campaign www.ncsc.gov.uk
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