Dundee Liberal Democrat City Councillors Helen Dick and Fraser Macpherson have today (Thursday 24th March) warned the Dundee public to be on their guard over internet banking scams, following attempts to access their own banking details.
Yesterday, the Royal Bank of Scotland highlighted the problem of attempts by fraudsters to gain access to customers' personal details by contacting them by e-mail and asking them to access what appears to be the bank's website via a link which actually links to a bogus site.
Cllr Macpherson said that in the past month, he and Cllr Dick had received no less than nine e-mails claiming to be Barclays Bank and asking for account details. Neither bank with Barclays.
Speaking on Wave 102 local radio, Cllr Macpherson said, "There certainly is a growing problem, not only with "phishing" for bank details, but with the sophistication of the scams. Some of the e-mails Cllr Dick and I have received really do look like the real thing, so people really do have to treat such e-mails with real care. As the banks say, you will not be asked for your security information by e-mail so do treat any such e-mail request with caution."
Cllr Dick said, "Its clear that e-mail addresses are picked up from both the Dundee City Council website and also our own websites. We have reported the problem both directly with Barclays Bank and with the City Council's Trading Standards. However, this is a national - indeed international - problem and its important that the public is fully aware of the problem and are on their guard."
