Police investigate as isles are hit by major ‘phishing’ scam

Fraudsters claiming to be from mainstream banks and other financial organisations have been targeting Shetland this weekend in a major “phishing” scam.

Police in Lerwick said today they were investigating multiple frauds and attempted telephone frauds from criminals claiming to be from “respectable financial institutions”.

Phishing takes the form of a fake email or phone call purporting to be from your bank or a financial organisation. 

They may claim to require confirmation of some information or claim that there has been a security breach. By answering the caller’s questions or even clicking on the email link, which would take you to a cloned site identical in appearance to that of the financial institution, your bank details will be accessed and used for criminal purposes. 

A police spokesman said: “You may find your bank account emptied, contracts set up in your name, or credit cards used to purchase goods. Reclaiming your financial security following one of these attacks can be a long, and sometimes costly process.

“Don’t reveal personal details in a phone call – no proper institution would ever cold call, let alone ask for personal details. Ask for a name and phone the customer service telephone number that appears on your original contracts/card.  

“Never click on a link in an email that wants you to reveal personal information. Instead, open your browser and type in the link. If you become a victim, immediately inform your bank and credit card company. 

“If something seems too good to be real, then it probably is. The chances are that all those ‘opportunities’ are all scams.”