General Security

Security and privacy are important considerations in our daily lives. Many of us by now probably understand the importance of ensuring that the websites we visit are secure when entering data and also making sure that links in emails go to secure websites.

Phishing and Vishing

It is important to note that Bermuda Commercial Bank Limited (“BCB”) and its subsidiaries (together the “BCB Group”) will NEVER ask you for your personal information or account details via email, text, WhatsApp or any other electronic means. . If you ever doubt the legitimacy of any email claiming to originate from BCB, please contact Customer Experience at +1 (441) 295-5678 or forward it to phishing@bcb.bm. BCB is continuously working to ensure your security against phishing schemes.

What is it?

Phishing is a process used by fraudsters to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by pretending to be an email or message from a trustworthy organization such as your bank. They send these with the aim of tricking you into providing personal or security related information.

Phishing is usually carried out by email, text message or instant messaging (also known as Smishing) and often directs you to enter details at a fake website which looks almost identical to the real one, however some phishing scams are able to create pop-ups that appear whilst you are using a banking site.

Vishing is a type of phishing scam that happens on the phone. The word vishing is a combination of the words voice and phishing. Fraudsters will call mobile phones or landlines pretending to be from your bank in order to get your personal information or ask you to move money from your personal bank account. They may already have some of your personal information such as name or address to make them seem more convincing.

Emails

You may receive emails, directing you to websites that ask you to enter your personal information. The aim of many of these email scams is to take you to websites that may look like the genuine site but are in fact ‘spoof’, or fake, web sites. When you click on a link or enter your personal details, the information is sent to someone other than your bank or other service providers. This means that someone else may be able to access to your accounts.

Phone calls

You should also be cautious when receiving unsolicited phone calls from people claiming to represent your bank or another business, especially where you are asked to provide information about your login credentials or card details.

How to spot a phishing email

• Is the greeting personal? Do they address you as sir, madam or customer? A genuine email would normally address you by your full name.
• Check the grammar and spelling. Are there sloppy spelling mistakes? Or poor grammar? This can be a big giveaway of a scam email. A real bank or company would not make mistakes like this: `Their seems to be a money taken from you’re account. Move to safe account asap.
• Be wary of links and any email attachments or prompts to download any antivirus software.
• Is there a sense of urgency in the email? Scare tactics are often used by scammers to make you worry so you’ll act without thinking it through. By taking a moment to think whether the email is genuine, you can stop yourself from playing into the fraudsters hands.

BCB Group will never…

• Send you an email or text message containing a link to a log in page
• Send urgent or time-sensitive emails, text messages or correspondence, or make telephone calls that ask you just to provide updates or confirm sensitive data like your account number, passcode or security details
• Advise you by email, phone or text message that your account or internet banking facility will be suspended if you do not follow the message instructions
• Come to your home to collect your payment card or password
• Contact us immediately if any of the above happens to you

BCB Group will…

• Ask you to enter your login ID and passcode when logging onto your accounts online through our internet banking facility
• When we do a client call back to confirm a transaction we will ask you to confirm your transaction details, and you may be asked for some additional personal or account related information
• We may send you emails, i.e. e-news, with information or promotions about our products and services across our group of businesses

What to do

• Never give out your security information such as your PIN, login ID’s, passcodes, or account or card details to unexpected callers or email requests
• If you receive an email or text message that asks for your personal information, do not click on any link or provide any security details. Please forward suspicious emails or details of text messages that ask for your personal information to phishing@bcb.bm and then delete it from your inbox without responding
• Check your bank statements on a regular basis. Contact us immediately if you notice any unusual transactions
• Never hand over your bank card or PIN to someone to anyone who comes to your home address. Only a fraudster would ask you for your card or PIN
• Protect yourself and your computer by having up-to-date anti-virus software, operating systems and firewalls