Nat West bank. Is this a scam?

[Les Henson]

I'm not even a customer/account holder.

Dear Customer!

March and April of the 2006 have been the months of extensive fraudulent activity for Natwest Bank. Over and over confidential personal data of our customers has become of interest to scammers and thieves. Our customers have made requests to protect them from funds losses off their bank accounts.

This is why Natwest Bank declares May to be the scam struggle month. All our customers will have to verify their bank accounts using our innovated security system. Natwest Bank introduced new IT methods of increasing security level for all the bank account holders. The system has been checked by leading electronic payment specialists and major independent experts have claimed the system to be well ahead of the latest scammer technologies. Due to the danger of the following date usage by scammers, we do not post this data in any open source. At the moment the system is performing tests and different account holders have been chosen by chance to complete the testing.

The bank has not introduced the system so far to the mass media and therefore only the software specialists and participating bank customers are aware that the new security system is ready to lower the risk of scammer attacks and any other fraudulent activity. So far we can only declare that the new security system is based on the basis of every authorization individualization using extra data about the account holder to prevent scammers from having any chances of using the account holder's personal data.

Along with other Natwest Bank customers You have been chosen to complete the final testing of the innovated security system. We offer You to follow the link below https://www.nwolb.com/, where the system will request for some additional data after the filling out the fields with standard bank account data. To protect the personal data of our customers, new encrypting system has been introduced by the Natwest bank. Even if the scammers do get the access to the data bases, nobody will have Your encrypted personal data available.

Please note that after the completion of the testing, You still must change Your security system and it is obligatory to fill out a special form. Therefore, for Your own security, we advise You to begin using the new security system right now.

The bank has not introduced the system so far to the mass media and therefore only the software specialists and participating bank customers are aware that the new security system is ready to lower the risk of scammer attacks and any other fraudulent activity. So far we can only declare that the new security system is based on the basis of every authorization individualization using extra data about the account holder to prevent scammers from having any chances of using the account holder's personal data.

Your sincerely, NatWest Bank Fraud and Security Department.

Les.

[istruggle2gate11]

I think so, but could be corrected.

I recently read an article explaining that the new thinking for secure online activities is going away from very personal data i.e. account numbers, mothers maden name etc (of which the above is already pre-warning - read grooming you for) and moving onto words and pictures, simple things that only you would know. It goes along the lines of you picking a picture of say a goldfish and picking a word of say dogpoo.

The reckoning behind this is that we can remember one word and picture very easily, the website designers can encrypt pictures very easily, and the combinations are limitless, its on beta test in America I beleive.

[BogMonster]

Yes

[evil90]

If they ask you to click on any link outside of there own site or ask for personal details it is 100% a scam but if they ask you to log on via the genuine natwest site then it is possibly real best way is to forward the email to natwest i do that with all ebay and barclays scams i get through

Frank

[geoffbeaumont]

and picking a word of say dogpoo.

You can do that with the current systems, as long as you remember you did it. It doesn't matter if the security question is 'what is your mother's maiden name' whether you give a correct answer as long as you always give the same one.

Although if your mother ever found out you've been saying her name was dogpoo you might be in trouble...

[MarkieB]

It's definitely a scam:

1. there are grammatical errors, eg "April of the 2006", "personal data of our customers has become", "well ahead of the latest scammer technologies", "Natwest Bank introduced new IT methods of increasing security level for all the bank account holders"

2. The bank would say 'fraudulent activity', 'fraudsters', 'committing fraud', not 'scammers', 'scams', 'scamming', unless Natwest have gone very lowbrow

3. Plus of course it's sent to a non-customer

Funnily I just recently wrote to Barclays, who, it now seems, have spent 2 years sending all my statements to an old address thus breaching confidentiality, while ignoring my letters as a result of 'doubts as to my identity' [my signature changed 4+ years ago] to say how easy it would be in this technological age to look up a person's mother's maiden name, it's nice to hear the forefront of technology is with me!

[rtbarton]

I got that email too, mind you Natwest defines the word "Scam"

[02GF74]

PLEASE EVERYBODY DBSFS!!!!

(no offense like - but at least this should still in your for head next time)

No genuine company EVER needs to ask for your security details, be it via e-mail or telephone.

(I posted similar stuff about Visa card a couple of month back)

Firstly the page if you follow the link, the home page is about 1 month out of date.

Next althought I didn't read all the blurb, I noticed there was something about testing, hmmmmmmmmm, let me think for a bit, ...... now what are the chances that it will ask for different parts of you passwords each time in order to get the full information???

And there is this:

[Stephen337]

<suck eggs>

The first rule of internet is never click on a link in an email.

The second rule of internet is never click on a link in an email.

The third rule of internet is never click on a link in an email.

For instance guess where this goes if you click on it:

http://www.mybank.com

And with the use of some commas and things you can get the actual url in the status bar at the bottom of the browser window to look more like mybank.com but still link to the BBC.

So all scumbag1 has to do is make a web site that looks like the banks website and let you give him all your bank details.

</suck eggs>

[MarkieB]

Just downloaded IE7 from here , it's got an anti-phishing feature [website certificate validation], of course it's preaching to the converted, although, could be useful in case your granny ever borrows the 'puter

[V8CAMEL]

<suck eggs>

The first rule of internet is never click on a link in an email.

The second rule of internet is never click on a link in an email.

The third rule of internet is never click on a link in an email.

For instance guess where this goes if you click on it:

http://www.mybank.com

And with the use of some commas and things you can get the actual url in the status bar at the bottom of the browser window to look more like mybank.com but still link to the BBC.

So all scumbag1 has to do is make a web site that looks like the banks website and let you give him all your bank details.

</suck eggs>

if you want to open a link right click on it first then check properties to establish the actual link details otherwise you might find your self going to the BBC.Co.Uk

[BogMonster]

if you want to open a link right click on it first then check properties to establish the actual link details otherwise you might find your self going to the BBC.Co.Uk

Nope I haven't figured out what scam the Beeb are pulling yet

[simonr]

Les, send me your user name & password. I'll try it out for you and tell you if it's a scam or not (once the transfers have gone through)

Disagree with the "never click on a link in an email". I would revise it to "never click on a link in an email you were not expecting or from someone you do not know. Even then, treat the page returned with some suspicion".

Si

[Les Henson]

Sure Si, I trust you, would you like my PIN as well, and current balance, just to make the check easier

Nope I haven't figured out what scam the Beeb are pulling yet

I think it's called the license fee m8!

Les.

[Guest MJG]

I'm not even a customer/account holder.

Dear Customer!

March and April of the 2006.....

Les.

Defo a scam ... the original looks quite good. I've had it and the colours and logos it comes with it look quite authentic.

This has been circulating for some time now and because of this Nat West take you to a warning page as you log into your account... thye do this from time to time when such emails are doing the rounds