Act now to protect yourself against financial crime

Meanwhile, a YouGov poll for technology firm Equiniti revealed that a quarter of those living north of the Border have suffered some form of cybercrime. The only place where people are more vulnerable is London.

According to internet security company Kaspersky Lab, over half of those who have lost money got only some, or none, of it back. It puts the average theft at £381, with one in ten people surveyed losing more than £4,000.

And attacks are becoming increasingly common. Fraud and cybercrime reporting centre Financial Fraud Action UK said there were more than a million incidents in the first six months of 2016, a 53 per cent rise on the same period a year before.

Alistair Blaxill, managing director at Equiniti, said: “Online and mobile banking are becoming a part of everyday life, but rising crime levels show people are still learning how to protect themselves.

“We all take instinctive steps to protect ourselves every day, whether locking the car or house or looking before you cross the road, and we need to develop those habits online as well.”

Modern financial crime takes many forms, including theft of debit and credit cards, numbers and PINs, bank account information and other personal details, and hijacking of electronic payments.

Failing to keep finances under tight control makes people more vulnerable – and means they are less likely to spot it if they are conned.

According to Gocompare, a third of adults have so many accounts and passwords that it makes them stressed, while a fifth admit to losing track of financial contracts and accounts.

Over a third use just a handful of passwords to cover everything, while more than half say they have to keep a written note of passwords and PINs, and a quarter rely on the forgotten-password button to access their accounts.

Matt Sanders, Gocompare’s head of money, said: “It’s clear that many people feel they are drowning under the weight of managing their personal and money-related affairs.

“New technology has also presented a range of opportunities for cybercriminals – scamming people out of their personal details and money through increasingly sophisticated means.

“This means it’s essential that you make the time to manage both your offline and online accounts to ensure that your personal data is safe and secure.”

Taking some simple precautions will provide protection from financial criminals.

Mr Saunders said: “Always password or PIN protect your PC, smartphone, laptop and other mobile devices. Choose strong passwords and PINs, and avoid using the same ones for all your accounts and payment cards.

“Never use the same passwords for social media sites and online banking. If you feel you must write down your passwords and PINs, encrypt them so only you can understand them. Always log off when you complete an online transaction.”

A strong password should have a minimum of six characters. Avoid predictable words and phrases, such as family names and birthdays, and combine upper and lower case letters with numbers and symbols like exclamation or question marks.

Install effective anti-virus protection on all PCs and mobile devices, ensure firewall settings are turned on, and keep software up to date to benefit from security upgrades.

Do not make purchases on shared computers or public Wi-Fi and use only secure websites. These have a closed padlock symbol in the address bar and the address, or URL, should begin with ‘https’ rather than just ‘http’.

Be sceptical of texts, calls or emails claiming to be from financial providers or other firms asking for account or password details so you can access a bill, delivery, discount or prize. Genuine providers do not make requests that could compromise your security.

Scam emails are often sent from personal addresses, but even if the address looks correct, do not input your details or click on any links. Instead, open a fresh web page, type in the URL you normally use and check your account that way.

Beware, too, of copycat websites designed to fool you into parting with money or information. They may initially be convincing, but subtle differences and errors in spelling or grammar frequently give them away.

Do not let sites store your card details for future purchases. If the firm’s data is compromised, opting to input them each time could save you from fraud.

Always be vigilant when using cash machines, and never share information or allow access to documents that could be used to open accounts or borrow money in your name.

Do not give anyone your card details unless you know they are trustworthy, and never let credit or debit cards out of sight when making face-to-face payments. If you expect to receive a new card and it does not arrive, contact the provider immediately.

If you are asked to make a payment to an account you have not previously used, check the details are genuine by transferring a token amount and make sure the person you owe has received it before sending the balance.

If someone you need to pay changes their account details or email address, call first to verify the information. People have lost their life savings thinking they were making a house purchase or other major transaction, only to find an email had been hacked and the account they were directed to belonged to a crook.

Mr Saunders added: “Regularly check financial statements, such as your bank or credit card statement, and be on the lookout for unusual or unauthorised transactions or charges from subscriptions you’ve forgotten to cancel.

“Generally speaking, it’s worth closing old accounts that you no-longer need, as this will not only help guard against fraud, but may also help your credit score.”