NatWest Bank customers warned about fake email scam that leads users to lookalike website
The scam is particularly sneaky as it leads to a “https” page with a lock symbol – which many see as a guarantee of safety
NATWEST customers are being warned about an email scam that leads users to a lookalike website.
The fake email asks users to verify their personal details by clicking on a link leading to a fraudulent web page.
Once on the website, it appears users are encouraged to log in to their online banking account, by sharing their customers numbers and details giving the scammers access to their personal information.
Action Fraud on Twitter warned customers by posting a screenshot of the fake website that's been set up with a misspelled URL.
The scam is particularly sneaky as it leads to an “https” page with a lock symbol – which would usually be a guarantee of safety.
A number of worried customers have been sharing their concerns on Twitter.
“That's worrying as you always think as long as any website is http and lock symbol that it's safe,” one user tweeted.
Another one wrote: “How long have I been trying to tell people HTTPS is no guarantee of a legit website, never has been never will.”
“More information needs to be circulated offline as most people taken in are elderly. They won't even know what and SSL certificate is,” one tweeted.
Andy Fyfe of the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau told the Sun Online: “We are aware of the fake NatWest website that has been set up with a misspelled URL and are working with NatWest to have this taken down.”
A spokesperson for NatWest told the Sun Online that it has a process to identify fake websites and it works hard to ensure they are taken down as quickly as possible.
BLOCK IT OUT How to permanently get rid of spam and unwanted emails, texts and phone calls
"We must encourage customers to be vigilant to unexpected emails purporting to be from the bank and to look out for the tell-tale signs like spelling mistakes and unrecognised email addresses," a spokesperson for the bank said.
If customers are suspicious then they can report scams to [email protected] or phishing@natwest.com.
How to protect yourself from scams
FIRSTLY, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- NEVER give out personal or financial information on the phone or by email. Your bank, the police or any other organisation will never ask you for these in full.
- Never allow someone remote access to your computer following a cold call
- Don’t rely on caller ID – numbers can be spoofed by fraudsters to make it look like they’re calling from a trusted number
- Your bank, the police or any other company, will never call to ask you to transfer your money out of your account for security reasons
- Be wary of all cold calls claiming to be from banks, police, or other trusted organisations – if you have any concerns, call back on an independently verified number
- If you have fallen victim to a scam, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, Action Fraud is urging you to get in touch on 0300 123 2040 or online at www.actionfraud.police.uk.
NatWest isn’t the only bank to be targeted by fraudsters.
In March, Santander customers were warned about an almost identical scam where fraudsters sent out text messages pretending to be from the bank.
The bank refused to pay out on the basis that the customers freely shared their financial information - despite the fact that the text messages were extremely convincing.
More on the latest scams and how to avoid them
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