‘UK bank hit by massive phishing attack’
September 13, 2006 at 1:12 am
Customers of Barclays Bank have been alerted to a range of phishing emails designed to steal online banking details.
Antivirus company Panda Software has identified 61 variants of spoofed emails targeting Barclays customers.
Panda said that 64 per cent of the phishing messages it has detected in the past few hours were aimed at the UK bank.
The rush of spoof emails has pushed the number of overall phishing attacks up by 30 per cent.
“The false emails are designed to appear as if they have been sent from Barclays’ customer services, with the subject field chosen at random from a list of options,” said a statement from Panda Software…..
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‘Banks charges up 20%’
September 13, 2006 at 1:11 am
In the last three years banks have increased their charges by up to 20 per cent, new research finds.
Since 2003, the average penalty fees levied for unpaid standing orders, bounced cheques and direct debits have risen to more than £32 from £27, research from Defaqto reveals.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is currently investigating these fees – after ruling that such charges on credit cards should be no more than £12 (full story).
But while this might lead to a fairer system for all, there are risks that it could also have implications for those bank customers who budget well……
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‘Increase in online banking popularity’
September 7, 2006 at 1:09 am
Online banking is gaining in popularity in both the US and the UK, although visiting a branch is still the preferred option for many, the latest research suggests.
According to a survey carried out by UK-based Lloyds TSB, over half (54 per cent) of British banking customers prefer banking online to visiting a branch, with the desire for privacy and discretion concerning banking issues cited as the most important reason.
In the US, however, the picture is slightly different, with research from the American Bankers Association showing that only 26 per cent of customers banked online as their first choice, Associated Press reports……
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‘Who killed free banking?’
September 6, 2006 at 1:07 am
The decision by thousands of people to take legal action to reclaim bank fees may end free banking for all, experts have warned. The issue is now driving a clear division between two sets of UK banking customers. This is Money’s Sascha Hutchinson examines the impact.
In recent months, thousands of people have been empowered to reclaim bank charges – fees that were imposed mainly for exceeding overdraft limits and for bounced direct debits.
The claimants say the fees are excessive, failing to reflect the true costs incurred by banks and building societies. The banks are rolling over. If a customer threatens to take them to the small claims court, they tend to pay up…..
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‘Banks spend a fortune to combat ?card skimming?’
September 3, 2006 at 11:16 am
High street and large supermarket banks are to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on added security measures in an attempt to stem a growing wave of “card skimming” crime at cash machines across Scotland.
The move comes as figures show that the value of ATM fraud reached £21.4 million in the first three months of 2006, up 54% compared with the same period last year.
Levels of ATM fraud have grown by more than 250% in the past five years. Experts now say skimming accounts for the greatest proportion of cash machine fraud in the UK……
‘Barclaycard offers new student credit card’
September 1, 2006 at 11:14 am
Students are being offered a new specifically-designed credit card, in time for the beginning of the first university semester.
Barclaycard Student is a new card, which aims to help students use credit in a sensible manner, in addition to making the most of their time at university.
The credit card’s features include not having a fee for accidentally going over the credit limit and a limit of £600 at account opening…..
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