Checklist to help fight cyber fraud

The Government has a checklist to help people protect themselves from cyber fraud:

Take a breath - a moment - before you part with money or personal information. It sounds simple, but this alone could end up preventing fraud from taking place.

Ensure you are using the latest software, apps and operating systems on your phones, tablets and laptops and update them regularly.

And if you get an unexpected or suspicious email or text message, don’t click on the attachment or message.

Don’t be afraid to challenge messages and messengers. It’s okay to refuse or ignore requests for your money or details if you are suspicious - only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

The police and banks will never ask you to withdraw money or transfer it to a different account. Neither will they ask you to reveal your full banking password or PIN.

You can check that requests are genuine by using a known number or email address to contact organisations directly. And if you think you have fallen victim to a scam, then contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud.

You can report suspicious texts by forwarding the original message to 7726, which spells SPAM on your keypad.

SHARE CAUTION

Be careful what you share, because things are not always what they seem online.

Protect yourself and your family from misinformation and fraud by taking care when online, and use the website sharechecklist.gov.uk