Genuine Emails from Banks

rb10

I've been thinking about what banks are doing to educate people about fraud from phishing.

Emails that certain banks send out don't seem to fit with the 'never click on a link in an email' line that we are always told.

A few months ago, I got some 'newsletter' type emails from Nationwide, and last week Natwest sent one saying that they were about to start emailing account holders when paper-free statements appear online.

But both these emails were full of pictures/logos etc. I thought that pictures had the potential to be dodgy (as Hotmail blocks them unless you click 'show pictures and links'), so surely the banks should be teaching us that ALL emails from them will JUST be plain text. Then, when someone receives an email allegedly from a bank with pictures and links, they'll be more doubtful of doing anything with it.

The one from Natwest actually included a link that isn't obviously to their website: it's in a bit about 'Security' and links to http://click.personalbanking.natwest.com/ ... /string of numbers and letters ... This is surely a perfect example of something that looks almost like the known natwest.com, but is slightly different. And, if this was phishing, who knows what the string of letters and numbers would mean to the phisher.

And they also have an 'If you can't view this email, click here' bit at the top - so ditto my previous comments.

If they want to teach people to NEVER click on links in emails for banking, surely they should lead the way, by making their emails distinct from fraud ones in that there are no links.

Halifax, meanwhile, have what I think is a perfect email from a bank - just plain text, no formatting, no links, no logo.

I was just wondering if other people have thoughts on this? Am I being over the top? I just think that as there are people who still fail to recognise phishing emails, it would be good practice of the banks to not get people used to clicking links in a banks' email, and seeing images in an email from a bank.

Qasim

Some of the emails from Halifax have weird links too

richard9991

signed in to ltsb and this is what it says about emails


Genuine e-mail contact from Lloyds TSB – an update
* Over the last 3 weeks we have not sent you any emails.

* We will not send you any emails for the rest of the year unless this is in response to an instruction that you have asked us to carry out for you.

We will NEVER email you asking for your logon details or directing you to a page that asks you to type in this information.

If you receive a suspicious email please do not reply but forward it to our investigations team at emailscams@lloydstsb.co.uk.

oliver2008

I have used online banking for years and have never had an email from my bank apart from the statement notification (which incidentally never has a link in it). I have, on the other hand, received a lot of spam/phishing emails from a number of Banks, not just the ones I use.

Joyful

lloyds TSB have been advising very strongly on the internet about Scam emails for the last couple of weeks. just as well as I was getting inundated with Spam but luckily knew never to click on a link. I have forwarded many onto them.

bryanb

My bank has a secure message facility on their website. Don't they all have one?

rb10

Maybe I have just been unlucky and it's just Nationwide and Natwest that do this!

chadders1966

rb10 wrote: »

Maybe I have just been unlucky and it's just Nationwide and Natwest that do this!

I'm had a number of on-line accounts with Nationwide for years and I've never had an e-mail from them. As far as I know all communication is via the website or post.

rb10

chadders1966 wrote: »

I'm had a number of on-line accounts with Nationwide for years and I've never had an e-mail from them. As far as I know all communication is via the website or post.

It had my correct post code in, and addressed me by name, so I'm sure it was genuine. (I'd still be wary of clicking one of the links though). My Mum had one at the same time, again addressed by her name, and with her post code.

Maybe your marketing preferences exclude email and mine don't.

So my point is that many people will see that this email has their post code, so is genuine, so will click on the link. So they will get used to clicking on links in emails from banks ... so when 'Nationwide' asks them to confirm their log-in details will do it, as they have learnt that it's ok to click on a link in an email from a bank.

JCB2020

I have also banked with Nationwide for a number of years.

I am signed up for the Paperless option so always use the internet to download my statements if I need to.

The only email i get is a notification that my Nationwide credit card statement is available for viewing online.
It contains no links.

The rule of thumb is always enter the browser URL never click thru!

PBA

Sounds like OP has been receiving some spam.

If you ever get email from your bank just delete it. If they really need to get in touch they'll phone you.