E-mail frauds and secure online banking

How do I tell the difference between a genuine and fraudulent email?
As providers of online banking services, reputable banks frequently communicate with clients via e-mail.

The majority of these communications are to provide customers with information and updates about their services. A genuine financial institution will never ask for personal or sensitive information such as passwords by e-mail.

You can tell that you are dealing with your financial institution because:

• Banks will never send you an e-mail asking for your passwords, Credit Card numbers or other sensitive information.

• If financial institutions request information from you, they will always direct you back to their website using links. These are for your convenience - you can also reach your bank's site by typing the URL yourself.

• If you are required to enter personal information to perform a transaction, it is always done on a site secured with SSL technology - you can tell because there will be a padlock icon at the bottom of your screen. Most importantly, if you click on the padlock, a security certificate will pop up. In it, there is a section that says 'Issued to:'

• If it is really your bank's site, then the URL will end in 'yourbankname.com or yourbankname.ae'

• If you are using a link in an e-mail from your bank, you can make sure that you are on the genuine bank page by comparing it against the known website address you use to access your online banking application.

Should you receive an e-mail purporting to be from your bank asking for highly sensitive information, please report it to the financial institution's customer service immediately. Never reply to such an e-mail or open an attachment.

How can I protect myself?
All banks want their customer's online experience to be enjoyable and worry-free. That's why reputable financial institutions use the most secure form of encryption, called 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption, and other security procedures to protect their systems.

Here are a few simple security tips to keep in mind, for a safer online experience:

• Do not provide any personal information. Be very suspicious of any e-mail from a business or person that asks for your password, passport number, Account or Credit Card information over the phone or via the web, unless you have initiated the transaction. Or of anyone who sends you personal information and asks you to update or confirm it.

• Review the link provided to ensure it leads to a valid website.

• Review the sender e-mail address to verify that it is from a valid e-mail account.

• Act quickly if you suspect fraud. If you believe someone is trying to commit fraud by pretending to be your bank, notify the financial institution immediately.

• Use a strong password.

• Change your PIN / password often.

• Do not visit suspicious sites. If you suspect that a website is not what it purports to be, leave the site immediately. Do not follow any of the instructions it presents.

• Be alert for scam e-mails. These may appear to come from a trusted business or friend, but are actually designed to trick you into downloading a virus or jumping to a fraudulent website and disclosing sensitive information.

• Open e-mails only when you know the sender. Be especially careful about opening e-mails with attachments. Even a friend may accidentally send an e-mail with a virus.

• Be careful before clicking on a link contained in an e-mail or other message. The link may not be trustworthy.

• Do not send sensitive personal or financial information unless it is encrypted on a secure website. Regular e-mails are not encrypted and are more like sending a post card. Look for the padlock symbol on the bottom bar of the browser to ensure that the site is running in secure mode BEFORE you enter sensitive information.

• Make sure your home computer has the most current anti-virus software. Install a personal firewall to help prevent unauthorized access to your home computer. This is especially important if you connect to the Internet via a cable modem or a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.

• Monitor your transactions. Review your order confirmations, Credit Card and Bank Statements as soon as you receive them to make sure you're being charged only for transactions that have taken place. Immediately report any irregularities to your bank.