Online Fraud Safety

Browser applications are always being updated to improve performance and security, so download any updates straight away.

These are great tools to help keep fraudsters and viruses at bay. Use them to keep your computer secure and install any updates as soon as they’re released.

If you receive an email asking you for your banking or log-in details, it’s a scam. We’ll never ask you for your account information or passcodes in an email. It might look like it’s from your bank or another official business, but they often have links to fake websites.

Not sure? Check for a padlock icon in the bottom right corner of your browser, and the address bar on your screen – if it doesn’t start with https it’s not secure. It’s a good idea to set up a spam filter on your email account, to help block scam emails. If you think you’ve received a scam email, forward it to our internet security team internetsecurity@barclays.com .

When you visit a webpage, your browser stores the page, so you can access it quickly next time. If you’re using a shared computer, it’s safer if the page you’re on isn’t stored.

For peace of mind, clear your browser cache manually by following your browser instructions. We instruct browsers not to store your personal information in their memory or cache where we can.

Before you open an email attachment, stop and think. Attachments can carry viruses – known as a Trojan email in the business – and by downloading it, fraudsters could get access to your programs and files. 

If you get lots of spam, or your internet connection is slower than usual, spyware may have been downloaded. When it’s active, you'll notice pop-ups and banners appearing on your computer. To stop fraudsters getting access to your computer through a wireless link, make sure your Wi-Fi access is secure by creating a unique password with a mix of numbers and letters. 

Your account is monitored by our fraud detection systems 24/7, so it’s important we’ve got your current mobile phone number. We’ll use this to help protect you from fraud and to get in touch if we spot any unusual activity on your account. To update your number, log in or register for Barclaycard online servicing and select ‘Your details’.

When you log into our secure area, you can verify it’s us and not a fake website, by checking our site certificate:

Make sure it’s us

Double-click on the padlock in your browser window. A dialogue box will open and should show the website is owned by, or the certificate is issued to, bcol.barclaycard.co.uk.

Check our security certificate

Select ‘View certificate’ and check it’s valid and in date. This might be in the 'Security’ tab, depending on your browser.

Type in our address

When you log into your account or any membership websites, always type the web address in manually.

Keep your personal details private

Avoid writing down the security details you use to log into Barclaycard Online Servicing, so they can’t fall into the wrong hands. To protect your account, we’ll block access if we clock a number of failed login attempts.

Change your password regularly and use unique ones for all your accounts. That way, a fraudster won’t be able to access all your accounts if they get hold of it. It’s also important not to use family names or birthdays in your password, as fraudsters can easily find this info online.

You can change your password by selecting ‘Secure login details’ which you'll find under 'Your details' in the top menu.

It usually takes customers a couple of days until they spot fraud on their account, so it’s important to regularly check your account. That way, you can spot any unusual activity sooner rather than later. 

If you need to take a break, it’s safer to finish what you’re doing and log off. Then log back in when you’re ready to carry on.

Make sure you log out of any secure websites before you close the window. If you’re using an internet cafe or a shared computer, the next person to use it might be able to access your account if you haven’t logged out.

For added security, you’ll be logged out of your account if it’s been inactive for a while.

How many social media sites are you signed up to? To most of us, they’re just a fun way to communicate with the outside world. But to a fraudster, they’re potentially a way to access your personal information.

Scammers trawl social media sites to hunt for details like your name, date of birth, address and the name of your bank. Then, once they’ve pieced together your identity, they make their move.

There are a number of steps you can take to help stop the scammers in their tracks:

• Update your privacy and security settings regularly and set your account to private
• Think before you post something – in most cases, it will be online forever
• Don’t display or share personal details, like your date of birth or home town, as these can be used to guess your passwords or steal your identity
• Make sure you only accept friend requests from people you know – and double check it’s really them and not an imposter
• Change your passwords regularly