Most current cyber threads you should be aware of.

Those are the most common cyber threads you should be aware of:

• Fake “phishing” emails from supermarkets offering vouchers for free shops – from Tesco, which offer you vouchers for free shopping and contain a link for you to click on. Supermarkets are not giving away free shopping! Do not click on the link!
• Fake emails from TV Licensing – asking you to update your personal or banking details by clicking on a link. They may say you’re entitled to a refund for an overpayment or warn that your licence is about to expire. They will then ask you to respond by entering your bank details on a fake website. These are not genuine – do not enter your bank details!
• Telephone calls offering you savings or investment plans with high interest rates. The bond is allegedly going to pay 9% interest – too good to be true – alarm bells again! The caller may say he represents a reputable investment company and may say that he will email further information

He also may say he will arrange another telephone call for you to speak to their “compliance department” to check if you are eligible for the bond.

Even if the callers sound very eloquent and convincing and even if documents may look professional and using the company logo, address and website, but there still will be a number of errors in it.

A quick search via the FCA’s ScamSmart website can confirm whether it is a well known scam, called a clone scam, where the scammer pretends to represent an existing reputable firm.

A few pointers therefore:

• If you receive an email from someone you don’t know, containing a link – do not click on the link! It can typically lead to some malicious software or a virus being downloaded, which can gather your personal information or crash your computer or device.
• Do not give your bank details if asked to do so in an email or cold telephone call.
• Reputable advisers, investment companies and banks do not cold call – they’re not permitted to by the FCA even if they want to.
• If something sounds too good to be true it is! Interest rates are at record low levels. If there was something available which was low risk and delivering very high returns we would know about it