Natwest scam?

Suzy_Babe

I have just had yet another phishing e-mail 'from' NatWest, and I usually forward them to the (genuine) NatWest 'phishing notification' link. However, this time when I attempted to do so, on pressing the 'send' button I was confronted with: 'The message was not sent because of an error' plus a little box stating:

‘Your message was not sent.Please click the URL below, complete the imagepuzzle and then resend your message.’

I will not paste the actual link, but it included the words ... challenge-aol-com / en / gb / spam*html

Decided just to (permanently) delete the e-mail, and very glad that I did after reading this thread!

Has anyone else had this? (The website sending the message was dol(- at -)in.com)

alanq

Another sign the message is not real.

Castle_Rock wrote: »

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

One would hope that NatWest would not have claimed to be regulated by a body that no longer exists.

The scammer has not read the latest Ts&Cs
"Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority."
http://www.natwest.com/global/legal.ashx#regulatory_information

Mialia

Same here, just reported it to nat west as i don't even have a card or account with them! Its definitely a scam...

theGrinch

my apparent natwest email came from a uefa.com address

jimjames

I received this today and the list may help people identify scams from real emails

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-tips-for-spotting-a-phishing-email

DolphinGirl_2

Castle_Rock wrote: »

Ive recently been getting emails from someone called Paul Riley(Head of credit cards) at Natwest, I think it may be dodgy but not sure.

Each email varies slightly ie;

This is a short emailto let you know that your NatWest Credit Card Online Services security detailswas recently changed on Sunday, November 03, 2013 at 10:32:48 AM. Pleaseconfirm that this request was made by you.

Yes I made this request
No, I did not make this request.


Important
Many internet users have recently been targeted through bogus emails byfraudsters claiming to be from the bank. These emails ask customers to providetheir internet banking security details in order to reactivate their account orverify an email address. Please be on your guard against emails that requestany of your security details. If you receive an email like this you should notrespond. Please remember that, for security reasons, apart from when you createthem at registration or when you change your Internet PIN or Password, we willonly ever ask you to enter random characters from your Internet PIN andPassword when you logon to this service. We would never ask you, by email, toenter (or record) these details and we would therefore request that you do notrespond to emails asking for this information.

Disclaimer
This email was sent from a notification-only address that does not accept emailreplies. Please do not reply directly to this email.

Legal Information
This email message is confidential and for use by the addressee only. If themessage is received by anyone other than the addressee, please delete themessage from your computer. Internet emails are not necessarily secure.National Westminster Bank plc does not accept responsibility for changes madeto this message after it was sent.

Whilst all reasonable care has been taken to avoid the transmission of viruses,it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that the onwardtransmission, opening or use of this message and any attachments will notadversely affect its systems or data. No responsibility is accepted by NationalWestminster Bank plc in this regard and the recipient should carry out suchvirus and other checks as it considers appropriate.

National Westminster Bank plc. Registered in England and Wales (RegisteredNumber 929027)
Registered Office: 135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3UR.

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

__________________________________


Does this seem odd or legitimate?

DEFINITELY A SCAM!
I've also received, just today, an email supposedly from this 'Paul Riley' saying there had been suspicious activity on my account and withdrawals made from various locations, on my credit card (I don't have one!!) and just yesterday I received another scam email purporting to be from NatWest saying there had been suspicious activity on my account. Both asking me (in different ways) to log in and give my personal details and both saying my account/card would be closed down within the next 24 hours if I didn't respond.
I have reported both emails to NatWest via their given link (on their real site!) of [EMAIL="phishing@natwest.com"]phishing@natwest.com[/EMAIL]
I recognised these emails immediately as scams because NatWest (and most other banks) are always stating that they NEVER ask a customer to provide account identifying details in an email.
I have seen on here some members advising just to ring the bank and check if the emails are scams or not - well, chance would be a fine thing! There is a number to call them, but the menu only gives you the option to speak to an operator IF you have responded to the scam email! If you haven't responded it just tells you to forward the email to an email address (given above).
It also advises you to download a free internet security programme called Rapport. I already had this installed but when I opened the email it didn't identify it as being from a suspicious source, even though the email name and address was nothing at all like a NatWest one and very obviously a scam name and address!
My email account security also allowed todays email to be identified as safe and go into my inbox, while yesterdays email went into the junk folder - and that one had a NatWest address to it! (Though was still a scam email)
I have in the past also had other emails 'from' other banks that I don't bank with, again obviously scams.
My advice would be to anyone receiving these suspicious emails:
1: NEVER, EVER respond to them, however real they may look.
2: Always report to the bank concerned and/or email the scam email onto their fraud or similar department. Do this EVEN IF YOU DO NOT BANK WITH THEM but got a scam email relating to them. It is really important to do this as it helps the banks keep up to date with the scams that are current and therefore helps them protect and inform their customers. You can Google the bank contact details to get the relevant contact information
3: Download Rapport, though don't rely on that for your only source of internet security!
4: Have a good anti-virus and spyware and malware programme and do regular updates and scans.
Stay safe out there everyone, there are many, many nasty sharks in cyberland!

DolphinGirl_2

Thought this may help the members on this forum, its from NatWest's site.




What is phishing?

Phishing is when criminals send convincing looking, but fraudulent emails to lure you into entering your details at a fake but genuine looking website. Fraudsters use your details to access your accounts and money or to steal your identity. Criminals can also use hyperlinks or attached files within phishing emails as a way to infect your computer or device with malicious software (malware).
Here's how to spot a phishing scam:

When you receive an email you should check it for signs that it may not be from the company it appears to be from.

• Check the email address - Is it the same as the email address you usually receive emails from, or just similar.
• Check the email subject line - anything along the lines of "There is a secure message waiting for you", "Security Alert", "System Upgrade" and so on should be treated as suspect.
• Check the message title - if it reads 'Dear Customer' or 'Dear Valued Customer' or if isn't personalised at all, then you should be suspicious. Phishing emails will not usually include your name.
• Look for an emotive prompt to click on a hyperlink or a button or to download a file, such as 'Verify your account or password' or 'update your security details'. This will likely take you to a copycat website where you will be prompted to enter your full details.
• Be suspicious of any message that creates a sense of urgency, such as 'If you don't respond within 48 hours, your account will be suspended'. A legitimate company will not create a false sense of urgency.
• Check the wording for casual or informal words
• Check the grammar and spelling for mistakes or inconsistencies.

Top Tip! You can hover your mouse pointer over hyperlinks (or buttons) to see the underlying website URL.
Avoiding the phishers

Remember:

• NatWest will never ask you for your full PIN or password.
• Never respond to any unexpected or suspicious emails.
• Don't click on any links or attachments within unexpected or suspicious emails.