You cannot fail to have noticed the increase in warnings in the media recently about Internet scams that try to elicit credit card and bank account details from unsuspecting Internet users.  Many of the major banks and their customers have been recent targets of these fraudulent activities. 

This time, the international web payment system “PayPal” has been targeted.  A virus has been in circulation that arrives as an e-mail addressed to PayPal members, advising them that their account (if they have one) is about to expire.  Clicking on a link that launches what purports to be a PayPal form asks for confirmation of the account holder’s details, including credit card or bank account details.  This information is then sent to the perpetrator’s own server. 

The e-mail received has an attachment (named either InfoUpdate.exe or www.paypal.com.pif), which when launched, copies itself to addressees in your e-mail address book, thereby extending the net to other unsuspecting users.

The lesson is – do not, under any circumstances give out your personal financial information on any web site, unless you are 100% certain that you are communicating with a bona fide supplier with whom you have done business before. 

Banks, credit card companies and other reputable suppliers will not ask you for private and confidential information in this way i.e. in an e-mail.  They normally expect you to go through complex security and verification processes, for example to reach your online bank account.  Even then, they will not ask you to provide user IDs and passwords.  These are deemed to be private and confidential, and known only to you – not even to the security or support staff at the bank.

If you have any concerns about your vulnerability to such scams, please call Alan Finch at Facilitators UK, who can provide practical advice and help.  You can reach him on 01224 697457.