Despite the fact that the papers are frequently full of horror stories about internet banking fraud, it seems from research carried out by Lloyds TSB, that we are as a nation unperturbed by the problem.
51% of us are unworried, even though 93% of us acknowledge that it is far from a “victimless” crime. 26% of us take the view that it’s “just one of those things”, 38% of us are complacent - safe in the knowledge that we will be reimbursed by our bank - and 48% of us are willing to take the risk because of the benefits in terms of convenience.
A mere 20% of people questioned feel that they really understand how to avoid becoming a victim, although 90% feel they have taken all possible steps to avoid a problem. Contrary to what one might think, it seems that the least-informed age group is the 18-25s, with only 15% feeling well-informed. The most confident are the over 65s with 29% feeling that they are on top of the problem. Men seem to feel better informed than women, with 26% claiming confidence compared to only 14% of women.
If you are one of those who feel they “could do better” the following advice may help:
The following are common frauds perpetrated in the UK:
Internet fraud is an issue no one can afford to ignore as it is spreading rapidly and appears to be taking in increasing numbers of UK victims every year.
It is clear that the banks are taking the time to prevent fraud but we as customers have to take responsibility and do our bit too. Sitting back and thinking it’s unavoidable is the best way of making life easy for the fraudsters and turning this into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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