Phishing Factfile

'Phishing' is an attempt by fraudsters to 'fish' for your banking details. 'Phishing' attempts usually appear as an email purporting to be from your bank. Within the email you are usually encouraged to click a link to a fraudulent log on page designed to capture your details. Criminals across the Internet are creating forgeries of legitimate emails and Web sites and then attempting to steal your personal information with them.

If you receive a suspicious looking, unsolicited email claiming to be from your bank or credit card provider, do not reply to it and do not click on any of the links contained in the email. If you suspect a message may not be authentic, call the company or log onto the Web site by typing the Web address directly into your web browser’s address bar. Links in emails can be faked, so typing the address directly into your browser will ensure you get to the right site.

If you are unsure of a Web address, use a search engine such as Yahoo! or Google to verify it.

Always look for the secure site symbol, usually a lock, in the lower right hand corner of your browser when submitting your personal information. All Experian order forms will have the secure site symbol displayed.

Q. What should I do if I get a suspicious looking email?
A. If in doubt, delete it. This caution should apply to all unexpected emails with links or attachments.

Q. The email seems genuine and is asking me to confirm my bank account details.
A. Do not click any links in the email, call your bank to discuss the email, they will be able to confirm if any of your details need correcting.

Q. What should I do if I believe I've been a victim of a 'phishing' fraud?
A. You should call your bank immediately so that they can investigate and change your security numbers.

Identity fraud is on the rise, criminals steal victims' identities in order to take over their credit accounts or to open new accounts in their names. Shredding personal documents and keeping any pin numbers and security details safe is vital. Experian is offering a free 30 day trail of its Credit File service, allowing you to make sure your credit file is up to date and holds information about credit accounts that you have opened. Experian Credit Expert.