Beware of phishing scams, warns BBA

Users of the internet should beware of the latest wave of ‘phishing’ scams, especially those which request back details via email, the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has warned.

The BBA pointed out that as a rule banks do not send out requests for personal details by email and any such messages should be treated with suspicion.

Victims of the phishing scams are sometimes directed to a website which appears as the exact replica of their bank’s homepage.

"It’s just important to remember that bank will never email you asking you for your personal details in that way," confirmed a BBA spokesman.

The representative also noted a significant increase in online fraud in recent times.

He said: "I can certainly say for sure that it’s on the rise with the new technology, but also the more established forms of fraud haven’t gone away either, so it’s still important to shred your documents, and be careful about your mail."

The BBA is the principal trade association for banks operating in the UK.