Safeguard your digital banking profile in 7 simple steps

Recently several customers of banks in Singapore have been targeted by a series of phishing scams and some have suffered significant monetary losses. To safeguard your digital banking profile, it is important to stay vigilant and informed given that scams continue to evolve.

Take these 7 simple steps below to safeguard your digital banking profile.

1. Do not reuse your banking password or PIN across different online platforms.
   Your details might be compromised from other websites with weaker security measures.
   
2. Always use a strong password to prevent unauthorized use.
   A strong password is one that is difficult to guess. Create one that is not based on guessable information such as birthday, phone number or other personal information. As part of HL Bank’s ongoing security measures, you are required to have at least 8 digits, with a mix of lower and upper case alphabets and numbers in your HLB Connect password. Make sure you never write your password down and that it is changed regularly.
   
3. Do not click on any links from SMS and e-mails, we will never send clickable links via these methods.
   Do not trust unsolicited SMS or e-mails as it might be a phishing attempt targeted at bank customers. Always verify the authenticity of the information against HL Bank official website.
4. Do not perform banking transactions on a public computer or a device where built-in security has been compromised, for example, a mobile phone that has been “jailbreak”.
   Such devices are more prone to security vulnerabilities and you risk exposing your banking profile unwittingly.
5. Never perform online transactions on unsecured internet networks, such as Wi-Fi hotspots.
   You will not know if a public Wi-Fi is secure or protected, always perform banking transactions on a secured network such as your home Internet.
6. Ensure your e-mail address is updated. 
   As a new safety measure starting from 18 Feb 2022, there will be a 24 hour cooling period before your new e-mail address will take effect. If you received a notification on an update of personal details that was not initiated by you, report it to us immediately. 
   
7. Check your SMS and e-mail frequently. 
   You will receive a notification relating to transactions of any amount. If you received OTP or funds transfer notifications that were not initiated by you, report it to us immediately.

Our contact centre for you to report lost card and fraudulent transactions is available 24/7, contact us immediately at +65 6349 8330 if you require assistance.

You can find out more about scams and identifying fraud from https://hlbankconnect.com.sg/rib/content/Security_Information.pdf. Visit ScamAlert.sg to learn more about scams and how to avoid falling prey to them.