Security

Practice good cyber hygiene

The following tips will assist you in Practicing Good Cyber Hygiene:

• Never give anyone, especially anyone who has contacted you via an unsolicited means, access to your computer, tablet or phone.
• Never type your Internet Banking or Mobile Banking App log-in into a computer, tablet or phone at the request of others.
• Never use a hyperlink in an email or text to log-in to Internet Banking or undertake a financial transaction. Only log-in to Internet Banking via our website address as disclosed on your account statements.
• Never reply to an email or SMS that requests your personal information.
• Never show or tell anyone, including the Bank, your Access Code, PIN or One-Time Passwords associated with your Internet Banking or Mobile Banking App.
• Regularly check scamwatch.gov.au to learn about the latest types of scams.
• Regularly check the Security pages on our website for updates.

Please report suspicious emails, text messages and phone calls immediately to Health Professionals Bank by contacting us.

There are five types of scams recently reported to Health Professionals Bank:

• Romance scams
• Remote access scams
• Hoax emails
• Virus or Trojan emails
• NBN scam

Romance scams

One of the most common scams reported to Health Professionals Bank is Romance scams. As meeting new friends or romantic partners on dating sites and social networking platforms is now the norm, it’s more important than ever to be mindful of who you give your personal information to online.

These days, it’s very common to meet a new friend online, on online dating websites and social media platforms like Facebook. It’s important to be cautious of people who are especially interested in getting money out of you.

Be wary if:

• After only a short time, they claim to have developed strong feelings for you and wish to meet/talk outside the legitimate dating or chat site.
• Their online profile is not consistent with what they tell you.
• They tell elaborate stories to gain your trust and sympathy.
• They may not ask for money immediately, but tell you about their problems, often relating to topics that tug at your heartstrings (for example, about children, elderly relatives and pets).
• If you don’t send money when asked, they become impatient and persistent.
• You suggest a Skype meeting, but their camera is never working.

Be careful when sharing information about yourself, including photos, videos, and details of friends and family.

Remote access scams

This type of scam has been around for many years and at first glance it might sound legitimate. Fraudsters will call you pretending to work for a well-known telecommunications or software company. They may claim there is a virus on your computer and they need your assistance to catch the hackers by gaining remote access to your computer.

No matter how professional the caller may sound, never allow them to have access to your computer or give out your personal details over the phone. Instead hang up immediately and contact the company they were claiming to be from directly to report the incident.

Hoax emails

Email is another popular method fraudsters can use to try to contact you. Also known as phishing scams, these emails may look like they are coming from a reputable source but in fact have nothing to do with the actual organisation. The email will allege it is from an organisation, requesting confirmation of personal details such as account numbers, credit card details, Internet Banking logins, PINS, passwords, mobile numbers or access codes.

The email may link to a fraudulent website where any details entered can then be used on the real website to commit fraud. These hoax emails often look genuine, with the same logo and branding as the actual organisation. Look for tell-tale signs that the email is bogus, such as spelling and grammar mistakes, email addresses that don’t look quite right, being asked for sensitive account information and warnings that if you don’t follow the steps in the email your account will be locked or deactivated.

It’s important to keep in mind, Health Professionals Bank will never ask you to provide your confidential banking information via email. If you receive any suspicious emails, please refer these to Health Professionals Bank immediately.

Virus or Trojan emails

Scam emails don’t always try to get you to directly reveal your personal details. Instead they may send links and attachments that upon clicking may infect your computer by installing malicious software (Malware).

If you open the attachment or click on the link in the email, the malware will try to install itself automatically on your computer, depending on the security software on your computer. The malicious software is designed to capture any information that you enter into online services such as internet banking, and send it back to a criminal who can use it for fraud.

There are many email scams designed to compromise online user credentials or personal information, in order to illegally obtain funds. These unsolicited emails are sent in high volumes to random email addresses in the hope that they will find banking customers.

NBN scam

There are confirmed reports that scammers are impersonating the NBN and calling or doorknocking people to request personal information which is then used fraudulently. Please ensure that you never give a third party any of your personal banking details such as access code, passwords or member number; and never give them remote access to your computer. The NBN has stated they will never make unsolicited calls or doorknock to sell broadband services to the public.

If you suspect you have already been impacted by this scam please contact us immediately.

For more information on NBN scams, please visit the official Scamwatch website

What to do if you suspect a scam

If you receive a suspicious phone call hang up immediately and contact the company directly to report the incident. For unsolicited emails, do not click on any links, open attachments or enter any personal information as they may expose your computer to viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits or spyware.

Health Professionals Bank does not send emails requesting you to confirm or disclose your Internet banking login information.

To report suspected fraud or scams, contact us.