• Don't be taken in by email cons
• Check the security of eCommerce sites
• Log-out properly when you've finished with a secure site
• Exercise caution when using computers in public places

Don't be taken in by email cons

• Phishing is not the only way that criminals try to use email for fraud. Email has been used to make job offers, recruit people for money laundering and trick people into visiting sites that exploit weaknesses in their computer to download Trojans.
• Don't be conned by convincing emails offering you the chance to make easy money. If an offer sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

Check the security of eCommerce sites

• Be aware that Spoof (fake or fraudulent) sites do exist. Never go to the BrokerLIne site from a link in an email, only ever visit the website by typing the address www.natweststockbrokers.co.uk into your browser.
• Secure website addresses usually start with the letters https: and display a padlock icon in the bottom section of your internet browser. While these are good indicators that you are visiting a genuine site there have been cases where criminals have been able to recreate these features on their spoof sites.
• As a result, it can be risky to rely entirely on the padlock icon. If you double click the icon a box will appear which contains details of the site owners and helps you to establish whether it is genuine.

Log-out properly when you've finished with a secure site

• Never leave your computer unattended when logged in to a secure session such as when you are using the BrokerLine site.
• Ensure you log-out properly when you have finished using the secure service. The log out button is found in the top right hand side of the BrokerLine site.

Exercise caution when using computers in public places

• As you cannot be certain about the security of a computer in a public place such as a library or Internet café you should be careful if you have to use such a machine. If you have any reason to be suspicious about a public computer you should not use it to access services such as BrokerLine.
• You should never change your security details such as your password on a publicly accessible computer (e.g. in an Internet café).
• If you do use a public computer to access BrokerLine you should look out for anyone who could be watching you.

For more advice and a step by step guide to staying safe online visit banksafeonline a website launched by APACS the UK payment association working on behalf of the banking industry.