In an era where digital communication is widely used to carry out mostly all business transactions, the security and integrity of our communications with clients is of paramount importance. We feel it is important to emphasise to you the importance of being extremely vigilant against increasingly more sophisticated email fraud attempts. Those types of fraudulent activities not only target our business, but also seek to exploit our trusted relationships with our clients. 

Here are some tips & guidance for dealing with fraudulent emails. Feel free to share with your family & friends.

Your vigilance and proactive measures are invaluable in our collective efforts to combat email fraud. If everyone works together, we should help create a formidable barrier against these threats, protecting not only your interests and assets but, more importantly, the interests those most vulnerable. 

Known Threats: 

Targeted Scams: Everyone is a potential target of scams designed to intercept or falsify email instructions related to financial transactions that you might initially believe are genuine. 

Personal Account Compromise: Scammers may attempt to gain unauthorised access to your bank and investment accounts by impersonating you or us, by using manipulated email communications.

Sophisticated Phishing Attacks: The emergence of advanced techniques, such as the use of AI to create emails that appear legitimate, make it difficult to distinguish them from genuine communications, such as purporting to be from ‘HMRC’ or your ‘Financial Adviser’ for example.  

Some measure you can take to protect yourself: 

• Verification: Before executing transactions or sharing sensitive information based on email instructions, try to make sure to verify the authenticity of the request through some independent research; 
• Education: Try and stay informed about the latest phishing techniques and educate yourself on how to recognise and respond to potential fraud; 
• Secure Communication: Try to utilise secure, encrypted email systems for all communications and encourage your family & friends to do the same; 
• Alertness to Red Flags: Be wary of any email that:  Requests you to take ‘urgent’ action or make an immediate payment. It might be for something that seems routine or usual in your regular spending patterns; Contains unexpected attachments or links to website that you were not expecting or do not normally visit; Asks for sensitive information about you directly and without justifiable cause or reason.
• Reporting: Promptly report suspected fraudulent activities to us, allowing for immediate action to safeguard accounts and sensitive information. These are two organisations that you can report such activity to:

 https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime 

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-website  

Our promise & commitment:

We are committed to the security of our communications and the protection of all our clients and their friends and family from the adverse effects of fraud.  We strive to maintain and enhance our cybersecurity measures and want to work closely with all the Companies that we deal with, and all our clients, to ensure a secure financial environment for all that deal with us.  

Our Client Portal/App offers you a high degree of secure email contact with any member of our Team, so by using that you can be reassured that the message is 100% secure both receipt and delivery. 

Mark Howse, Financial Planner