Financial Fraud Action UK have launched a new campaign on the dangers of disclosing sensitive personal information online.
FFA UK have produced a video featuring comedian David Baddiel which has an unusual take on the originally German fairy tale Rapunzel first published in 1812, as well the Emperor’s New Clothes and Jack and the Beanstalk.
The warning is to be careful about what links you click on and the information you divulge online, the information you provide to potential scammers over the phone, as well as text messages.
Just last week we at DumbFunded received a text message that pretended to be from HMRC saying we have a ÂŁ500+ tax refund – and to click the link. However we thought it was a little odd that the message was sent via text, and the link was to “Bit.ly” and not to the secure HMRC or Gov.uk websites.
We used a special/safe tool to check the actual location of the Bit.ly link – and it indeed would have forwarded us to a fraudulent domain, no doubt to collect our sensitive information or spread a virus.
There is some excellent advice on the Take Five website:
- Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full banking password
- Don’t assume an email, text or phone call is authentic
- Don’t be rushed – a genuine organisation won’t mind waiting
- Listen to your instincts – you know if something doesn’t feel right
- Stay in control – don’t panic and make a decision you’ll regret
You can watch the video below, and visit the Take Five website here.
