Identifying types of fraud - FAQs

Identifying types of fraud FAQs

What is Phishing?

Phishing is an attempt to trick someone into giving information over the internet or by email that would allow someone else to take money from them and/or steal their identity.

What is Vishing?

Vishing is the act of using the telephone in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.

Sometimes you will be asked for your details there and then over the phone, or the fraudster may tell you to visit a fraudulent website.

It is important to note that some scammers will suggest calling the organisation in question back, to make you feel secure. However, the fraudster may stay on the line and trick you into thinking you are now speaking with somebody else. With this in mind, it is important to call a number you know to be genuine on a different telephone or device to ensure this is not possible.

What is Smishing?

Smishing is similar to phishing but is via SMS (text messaging). Texts will usually contain a link which will redirect to a website that will either download a virus to your smartphone or ask you to input personal details such as your name, address, email address or even bank details.

What will fraudsters say?

Fraudsters of this kind will often pretend to be from your bank – or any other company you do business with. They will usually claim there is a problem with your account or tell you that urgent action needs to be taken to ensure you will not be charged, or your account closed.

They will then either ask you for your details directly, ask you to follow a link or to download an attachment. Depending on the scam, these links may either download a virus to your device or lead to a website asking you to input your details which they will in turn steal.

What should I be on the lookout for on my email?

According to Microsoft, some of the key things you should look out for include:

Consistent poor spelling and grammar. It’s very possible that if an email contains a suspiciously large number of spelling mistakes and poor grammar, it may not be official.

Suspicious links. If you’re not sure an email is genuine, do not click the links. Instead, hover over them and if the url does not match what you would expect, do not click on it. See below for an example:

Threats or activity you did not initiate. If an email states a threat that seems unreasonable – such as “your account will be closed if you do not fill in this form” – it is likely to be phishing. The same applies to emails that imply you have made an action you are unaware of, for example “click here to complete your withdrawal”.

Strange spelling and characters in subject lines. Phishing emails sometimes use special characters in their subject lines to avoid spam filters. For example the email may be titled “B4nk wὶthdrawals” rather than “Bank withdrawals”. If this is the case, do not open the email.

What should I do if I suspect a call, text or email is fraudulent?

If you feel you may be a victim of a phishing, vishing or smishing scam, contact us (or the business in question) immediately to ensure no fraudulent activity has occurred and report it to Action Fraud. To alert us to any suspected fraud or scam, please email us at customer.security@krbs.co.uk.

If you have a call that you suspect is an attempt at fraud, hang up and call a number that you know is genuine from a different phone from the one you were talking on.

If you suspect that an email is not legitimate, do not follow any links or open any attachments. You can refer any suspected phishing emails directly to the company in question and to Action Fraud.

If you suspect that a text from Kent Reliance - or your credit card company, online payment service, or any website you do business with is not legitimate, do not follow any links or open any attachments.

You can refer any suspected phishing, vishing or smishing incidents directly to the company in question and to Action Fraud.