All may not be as it seems.

Short Version ~ If you receive an email or other message asking you to click  to go to your bank website or a website for any other place where you hold an account (for example your phone company, superannuation company, stock market shares broker, paypal) ~ DON’T  CLICK ON THE LINK .

Explanation ~ Phishing is where Scammers (Fraudsters) want you to go to a bogus website which they control, with you thinking it is genuinely your bank or other business website. The bogus sites can be very convincing, and if you enter your login details for your bank etc the crooks have them and they can go along to your real bank site etc. and use them to login to your account.

Banks and other reputable companies are well aware this goes on and they will NEVER email you asking you to go to a login page. Other layers of security are used by banks, for example sending an SMS message to your mobile phone with a code which must be entered to make a transfer to someone whom has never received a payment from you before. Don’t login anywhere at someone else’s prompting, if in any doubt, contact your bank etc. by visiting a branch or by telephoning a number you are sure is legitimate.

Many variations on this scam are possible e.g. “please change your password as your account may have been compromised, OLD PASSWORD, NEW PASSWORD etc. etc…”.Contact ClickSilver on 02 9211 9921 for free advice on whether a message is fraudulent.

The latest internet browsers (the program you use to read web pages) have security measures to help stop phishing. Keeping your computer up to date is very important, ClickSilver can help with this. I will now insert logos for some Australian banks, for which I have no authority, but do so in the interests of warning readers just how easy it is to use genuine logos etc. to concoct a bogus website or email.

ClickSilver principles at work ~ 1. don’t allow a stranger to lead you anywhere, on the street or on the internet!

2. Did you start doing this off your own bat or did someone else ask you to do something unexpected? Don’t be lead by the nose!