8 STEPS TO BEAT ONLINE BANK FRAUDSTERS
Money Mail, November 9
IF I BORROW £1,000 from a friend and lose it, I still owe him £1,000. The same applies to banks. But they give the impression they are doing us a favour by refunding us. It is their responsibility to protect the money in their care. T. S., London.
I’m sure I’m not the only person baffled by the fact a hacker who steals money can get away with it. That stolen cash will likely be credited to another account and a sharp-eyed bank should be able to report any suspicious activities. D. L., Swanscombe, Kent.
IT DOES not matter whether you bank online or not, hackers can still target the bank to access accounts. Banking offline could actually help hackers, because you might not notice anything is wrong as quickly as you would if you used online banking. G. N., Exeter.
I am a computer programmer and use a password-locked spreadsheet to keep my details safe. The secret is not to keep it on your computer, but on a memory stick. You can then use a ‘cleaner’ that deletes not only browsing history, but all transaction history. A. D., Cambridge.
I NEVER use online banking because of things like this. I’ve also got rid of all my contactless cards in favour of Chip and PIN, and use my debit card in the Post Office to get cash. And for big purchases, I use my credit card. S. B., Lincoln.
as a former IT security officer, we were told the best course of action on receiving an email from an unknown sender is to delete it without opening. If it is a genuine request from your bank, call and ask for it in writing. The bank has your address on file, so you won’t need to confirm it over the phone. L. M., London.
I HAVE a Tesco Bank account, but am not stupid enough to click on a message that claims to be from them, saying: ‘You can now view this month’s statement.’ They should post them. P. F., Westmorland, Cumbria.
BankIng is biased in favour of the banks. You deposit £100,000, and it has no obligation to repay that. Instead, you get a guarantee from the government that, in the event the bank fails, it will pay you £75,000.
Yet if you borrow £100,000, the bank will demand security, such as your property. On top of that, it charges you interest and fees for the privilege. T. L., London.
÷ WRITE to Tony Hazell at Ask Tony, Money Mail, 20 Waterloo street, Glasgow G2 6DB or email asktony@dailymail.co.uk — please include your daytime phone number, postal address and a separate note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Tony Hazell. We regret we cannot reply to individual letters. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.