Cyber crime decoded
Top tips for keeping your information safe
At Market Harborough Building Society we take cyber security seriously.
The security of your personal and account information is our priority. We always do our utmost to prevent cyber crime and take many steps to secure and protect our computer systems and customer information.
Here is a brief overview of the common cyber crimes that happen every day and ways you can help prevent them from happening to you and your PC…
Quishing
Quishing, also known as QR code* phishing, involves tricking someone into scanning a phony QR code with their phone or device.
The QR code then takes the user to a fraudulent website that might download malware or ask for sensitive information. It’s the latest trend used by scammers to get to your hard-earned cash.
QR codes are often found on things like parking machines, charging points, emails, even restaurant menus. Once scanned, scam codes will take you to a bogus website where you innocently input your details thinking you’re paying for a service or visiting the genuine site, when in fact, you’re sharing all your personal details with the scammers.
Cyber crime by phone – Vishing is when cyber criminals try to obtain your personal details over the phone. They may ask for your account details, passwords or security questions and then use this to access your funds via our Online Service.
Cyber crime by text message – Fraudsters can also target customers using bogus text messages. The text message may encourage you to download destructive malware such as ‘Trojans’ onto your phone/device.
Trojans are destructive programs that contain malicious codes designed to give control of your computer to a hacker. Typically these are installed on your computer through an email that is sent asking you to click on a link to a website which looks like it is under construction. If the site is not genuine, a program may be downloaded onto your computer which can then be used to record your keystrokes the next time you sign on, and send them to the hacker. This has the potential to capture your security details.
The Society will never include links to its website for you to access our Online Service. If you receive an email that contains links to our website please contact us immediately. If in doubt always type in our full website address mhbs.co.uk into your browser manually.
To find out more on how you can protect yourself and your PC from these cyber crimes, please visit our helpful tips.
