BUDDIES HIT BY WEB SCAM

Sep 14 2007 Paisley Daily Express

CUSTOMERS of two banking giants are being targeted by e-mail fraudsters.

E-mails are being sent out randomly to Royal Bank of Scotland customers in Paisley in an attempt to trick people into handing over their bank account details.

Similar e-mails are also arriving from Halifax on-line banking.

The e-mail from RBS is addressed to “digital and direct banking customers” and purports to be carrying out an internet banking update.

People are instructed to click on a link, and are then asked for bank account details.

In a similar scam, the bogus Halifax e-mail tells customers their on-line account is about to be closed and they must supply details immediately or it will shut.

Yesterday, the Royal Bank of Scotland warned customers to be extremely vigilant over e-mails.

A spokesman said: “RBS takes fraud extremely seriously and has stringent security processes in place to protect its customers, which we constantly review.

“We would never ask customers to provide us with this type of information by e-mail.

“When customers log onto our Online Banking service they will only ever be asked for random digits or letters from their password and PIN.

“We would urge any customer receiving an e-mail requesting such information not to reply to the sender of the message, but to attach it to a new e-mail and forward it us at digitalbanking@rbs.co.uk.

“Alternatively they can call the RBS helpline number on 0845 600 8212.

“The suspect e-mail should then be deleted.”

The scam is of a type known as ‘phishing’ in which fraudsters get hold of thousands of e-mail addresses and send them out to people, not knowing if they are customers of the bank in question.

The fraudsters rely on their e-mails reaching customers of the bank who will then hand over account details.

The details are then used to plunder accounts.

One worker targeted by the Halifax scammers said: “I don’t use the Halifax to bank. so I knew right away something was wrong. However, I’m sure there are vulnerable people out there who would still be trusting enough to fill in their details.

“Some of my colleagues bank with the Halifax and also received the e-mails. We just want other readers to be aware this is happening in Paisley.”