Cyber Security:
When things go wrong..
Responding to identity theft
If you have lost important documentation (such as passports, driving licences, credit cards and cheque books) you should report them immediately to the issuer so that they can be blocked and new copies can be issued to you.
You should also report their loss to the police and ask for a crime reference number.
Report any unexplained transactions to your bank or credit card issuer so that they can be investigated by the company’s fraud team. You may not be liable for any losses provided that you have acted in a responsible manner and without fraudulent intent.
Your Credit Report can indicate Identity Theft
Your credit report will indicate if someone has been using your identity to borrow money. A credit report is used by financial agencies to determine your suitability for financial services such as a credit card, bank loan or mortgage. Every time a user (or an impersonator) requests a new financial product, a credit search is made and included in the credit report.
You can ask for a copy of your credit report from a credit reference agency (in the UK they are TransUnion, Equifax and Experian) which will list all searches made on that account, who authorised the search, what type of search was made and when it was performed.
Credit reference agencies can also provide a credit report checking service (for which they may charge) which keeps a track of any changes to your credit report - for more information see ActionFraud.
Responding to a suspicious e-mail message
You should never click on any links or open any attachments sent to you in an email, or log in from a link that is 'sent' to you. Instead you should use links that you have previously saved in your browser bookmarks to visit any sites you need to check or look them up via Google.
Never be shocked into immediate action by anything you read in an email.
Take a screenshot.
Close the app.
Run a scan with your anti-malware software.
Close down the laptop/phone/iPad and restart.
Use your screenshot to look up the site it perportedly came from - if possible from a different device.
Look up the contact details for the company, log in and check your own account, and if there seems to be a problem you can contact their security department via their own site.
Bank card fraud
If you notice a charge on your card account that you didn’t authorise, contact your card issuer as soon as possible.
It may be that you’ve paid for goods you’ve not received, or are suspicious about a website you’ve used.
Give the card issuer as much information as possible – the name of the website, how much you spent, when you did it and so on.
The card issuer will investigate all cases of possible fraud and give you guidance which you should follow exactly.
You may have legal protection, which means you’re not liable for any losses, as long as you took reasonable care and did not act fraudulently.
You should also contact the police and complete a crime report. Visit the UK Police’s website for reporting online fraud at ActionFraud .
Note that using PayPal does not give you the same 'legal protection' as using a credit card does - but contacting them is a good idea if you are worried.
Responding to a phishing phone call
If you get a phone call from someone saying they are from your bank and they have detected fraud on your account it is probably a phishing attack.
You should:
Don’t confirm anything!
Don’t press any phone keys.
Just end the call.
Don’t call any number they might give you for further information.
Put down the phone.
Dial your saved message service or another free service just to confirm that the caller has released the phone line.
Look up the contact details for your own card issuer, check your own account, and if there seems to be a problem you can call the safe number that you already have.
See this page on keeping your data secure.
