Most people have a bank account and a lot more people are nowadays accessing their bank accounts via online services.
Why wait in a queue at your local bank, when you can switch on your computer, type in your personal details view your current balance, pay bills and order a new cheque book; all from the peace and quiet of your own home?
Great, or it would be if there weren’t a determined bunch of cyber criminals out there who are determined to illegally part you from your money, through various online banking scams and phishing techniques.
The downside with online banking is that you gain access to your bank account via a web-site, which asks you your personal details, checking your identity, and then letting you in through the portal.
But, unlike standing at your local branch and talking to the teller staff who might know who you are, an online system can’t tell if it’s actually you who have typed in the correct details. If someone else has your details and enters your account, then they can do all you can, including draining your account of all its funds.
Now, let’s not be too hasty – pinching your account details is not easy, but there are a number of tricks and deceptions that the cyber thieves use to try and get your information.
The classic one is phishing. A cyber criminal will have access to say a million or so email addresses. He will then write and design a very clever looking email which purports to come from your bank. They will use a logo, an official address and lots of official words. They will then say something like your bank is updating it servers and unless you contact them and provide your details, unfortunately, your service will be discontinued. All very polite and all, unfortunately, for most of us, very believable.
Now, the best bet is to ignore all such emails. Your bank does not play free and loose with your details, so they won’t be sending you emails asking you for your online banking log-in codes. It just won’t happen, so bin the email straight away.
If you want any more convincing, take a close look at the wording of the email. Many are sent from overseas and they often don’t have a grasp of common-day English. So look for a bad spelling, an odd choice of words, or a strange phrase. Also, the tone might be slightly aggressive. Why would a bank technical update involve you giving them their personal details again? That’s there problem, not yours. And have a look at what address it originates from. It might have come from a free email service (and banks don’t use those), or use the name of the bank, with lots of numbers and other words.
Finally, in the case of online banking, it’s best to be very, very safe, than sorry.
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With the number of High Street banks branches getting smaller and liable to continue to do so for some time, not the only reason for this trend can be put down to amalgamation and cost savings. There is another reason, and it is the increasing number of companies and individuals who prefer to do their banking online. And you don’t have to be a genius to figure out why. 
