Staying safe online with HSBC Expat

Fraudsters call out of the blue claiming that a fraud has already happened, or is imminent. They may have some information about you, and pose as bank staff, the police and other officials in a position of trust. They will then try to persuade you to:

• Transfer money to another account for "safekeeping" or "holding"
• Withdraw cash and hand it over "for investigation"
• Divulge private information, which they can use to gain access to your finances

In many cases, they will suggest you hang up the phone and call them back on another number. But, it is easy for them to keep the connection open and intercept the call, so all the information you think you're giving to your bank is actually going to them.

It's important to remember:

• Be wary of unsolicited phone calls, especially if you are asked to provide personal information
• If you are suspicious or feel vulnerable, end the call and refuse requests for information
• The display on your called ID could be falsified through "call spoofing" to show as a genuine bank number
• HSBC will never call you to ask you to generate a Secure Key code or ask for your PIN number
• Never share your security details with anyone else
• Criminals already may have some basic information about you (name, address, account details) but you should not assume that a caller is genuine because of this

Be wary of unsolicited emails that appear to be from your bank and contain links to websites which ask you to provide personal information. Emails may appear to be from a legitimate site and often warn that your account may be shut down unless you take action. These emails are designed to steal your private information to gain access to your accounts.

• Do not reply to or click on a link any email that you are not sure is genuine
• Contact the company, using an authenticated telephone number
• If the email claims to be from HSBC forward it to phishing@hsbc.com and delete it

Things to look out for:

• Poor spelling and grammar
• Requests for confidential information such as your internet banking details, passwords, account numbers or PINs
• Instructions to reply, complete a form or document attached to the email or click through to a fake website in order to verify your account.
• Don't open attachments or click on links if you suspect they may not be genuine.

Text messages can be sent by fraudsters to look like they have come from your bank to trick you into disclosing your personal and financial information (by calling a number or clicking a link).

It's important to remember:

• HSBC will never ask you for your full PIN or password
• HSBC will never text you a link that takes you directly to our login page
• Fraudsters can use 'text spoofing' to deliberately falsify the telephone number to appear as 'HSBC' to seem like a genuine bank text
• Never share your security details with anyone else

If you have suspicions regarding a text message from HSBC, call us on a known number such as the number on the back of your card before acting on it.

There has been a recent increase in reports of a new-style telephone scam in which fraudsters impersonate major organisations to take over computers to steal money from online bank accounts. Criminals use technology to take control of victims' computers from remote locations, after telephoning them and offering to help with a slow computer or internet connection.

To avoid falling victim to this scam, you should:

• be wary of unsolicited approaches by phone which may be claiming to offer a refund
• avoid letting someone you do not know or trust have access to your computer, especially remotely
• never log onto your internet banking while someone else has access to your computer

Never disclose your:

• Four digit card PIN to anyone
• Your password or online banking codes (including activation code)
• Personal details unless you are sure who you are talking to

Fraudsters will claim to be from your bank and arrange for a courier to collect your card. They may also ask you to write down your PIN and hand it over as well. To add credibility they may even advise you to cut the card in half.

It's important to remember:

• HSBC will never ask for your card and/or PIN to be returned via courier
• You should never divulge your PIN to anyone
• HSBC's fraud detection teams will only ever ask for partial information. For example we will never ask for your mother's full maiden name or full date of birth.

To ensure that we can get in touch if any suspicious activity seems to be taking place on your account, please ensure your contact details are up to date.

Some cold calls will offer too-good-to-be-true investment opportunities. These often involve being sold worthless, overpriced or even non-existent shares. These can take many forms, but there thing you can look out for such as:

• Unsolicited approaches
• Unrealistically high returns offered for "low risk" investments
• Lack of independent evidence of the validity of the scheme
• Pressure to make quick decisions
• Instructions to keep the approach confidential
• Approaches from someone whose only contact details consist of a mobile phone number
• If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Romance scams occur when people enter into an online relationship, through a dating website. But, one person enters the relationship under false pretences to steal funds and information from the other.

It's important to remember:

1. Never to share your bank details or account information
2. Research the person before agreeing to meet with them outside the dating site
3. Report suspicious behaviour