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Security

At Alpha Bank London we take your security seriously. This guide is to help protect you and advise you what you need to do if you think you may be the victim of a fraud.

Worried about fraud?

If you think you’ve been the victim of fraud then contact us as follows:

  • Cheque – If you are concerned about cheque fraud, please contact Customer Service
  • Suspicious email – If you receive a suspicious email that claims to be from us, please forward the email to customerservice@Alpha-Bank.co.uk. Once you’ve done this, please delete the email from your computer. There is no need to call us unless you have disclosed your personal details or suffered fraud.

If you have responded to the email, or you suspect that any of your accounts have been accessed by someone other than yourself, please contact Customer Service

  • Keep your details safe
    • Be suspicious of any unsolicited letters, emails, texts etc that ask you for your personal details or offer prizes or money in return for an initial payment. Whilst they may look legitimate, always check with the company concerned to check that they’re genuine.
    • Install firewalls, anti-virus software and anti-spyware software on your computer or Mobile devices and keep them up to date.
    • Let us know if you move house (even if it’s only temporary) and also advise any other banks and credit card companies you deal with, as well as utility providers. Use the Royal Mail redirection service to prevent mail going to your old address. You should also inform us if you change your work, home or mobile telephone numbers.
    • Shred any correspondence that contains personal details before throwing it away

For further information on how to protect yourself against fraud visit Get Safe Online

Protecting your identity

Preventing ID theft

Identity theft occurs when fraudsters use your personal information without your knowledge or consent to take out bank accounts, credit cards, loans, state benefits and documents such as passports and driving licenses in your name.

It is becoming all too easy and common and the results can be devastating for individuals. Here is some information on how you can protect yourself:

  • Keep your personal information secure
    • Protect your post, and anything you print from the internet. Shred any personal documents you don’t need
    • Use the Royal Mail redirection service if you move home. Advise the Bank immediately of your new address
    • If you suspect your mail is being stolen, contact the Royal Mail Customer Enquiry Line on 0345 774 0740, to check whether a mail redirection order has been made in your name without your knowledge
    • Check your personal credit file regularly, particularly if you’ve recently moved house, as this will help you spot any fraudulent activity that may have been conducted in your name. Callcredit, Equifax and Experian all offer credit reports
    • Look out for phishing emails, which appear to come from financial institutions asking you to confirm account details. You can usually report these emails to the financial institutions they claim to come from and help close the net on fraudsters. Banks would never ask customers to confirm account details by email
    • With the rise in popularity of social networking sites fraudsters operate. These sites work by building networks and communications between individuals. They encourage you to divulge greater amounts of personal information about ourselves than ever before, sharing information, chat and photos online. These sites can be a lot of fun but at the same time there are some risks associated with placing information about yourself online
    • With the advent of Covid-19 and so many people working from home for the first time, unscrupulous individuals are targetting individuals and companies with phishing scams. Treat emails from unknown individuals, especially when they ask you to open an attachment, with caution.

Keep your documents safe

    • Read your bank statement as soon as you receive it, and contact us to report any transactions you don’t recognise
    • Store personal documents, statements, bills, and confidential letters securely.
    • Destroy unwanted documents, preferably by using a shredder. Never throw away entire bills, receipts, credit or debit card slips, bank statements or even unwanted post in your name

Chequebooks

Cheques are susceptible to fraud as they can easily be altered and cheque fraud is increasing as a result, To protect yourself or your business:

  • You should ensure that you keep your chequebook in a safe and secure place at all times.
  • If your chequebook is missing or has been stolen, you should immediately contact Customer Service to report your chequebook lost or stolen.  We will ensure that the chequebook is cancelled and a new one will be issued for you.
  • We will write to advise you that a new chequebook has been ordered for you.  If you do not receive your chequebook within five days from receiving this letter or if you receive your chequebook but it appears to have been tampered with, you should immediately contact Customer Service
  • When writing a cheque make sure you write the full name of the individual you are making the cheque payable to. The total amount of the cheque should also be clearly and accurately written in numbers and words.  Do not leave any large spaces between words and numbers, and draw a line through any blank spaces you leave in the sections where you write the payee details and amount. 
  • You should never deposit cheques in your account which are not addressed to you. If the name of the payee on the cheque is different to the named account holder(s), the cheque will not be processed and will be returned to the drawer.
  • You should never accept to deposit cheques in your account for the benefit of a third party.

External Web sites

  • All of the external sites you can reach through the Alpha Bank London are here to help you. However, we are not responsible for and do not endorse the content, accuracy or availability of any of these external sites and products which you may wish to visit or install.