Be suspicious of neutral form of address

Phishing emails often begin with an impersonal form of address such as "Hello" or "Dear customer". In such cases, it's time to #watchout!

A neutral form of address indicates that the sender does not know your real name and is trying to lure you into a trap. If you are not sceptical on such occasions and therefore click on a link, you could end up on a fake website and quickly lose a lot of money.

Here’s how to protect yourself: 

• Think twice about whether the e-mail is genuine.
• Delete messages if the message does not address you by your name. 
• Do not click on any links if you are not sure that you can trust the sender and that the message is actually intended for you.
• Never pass on personal data such as PIN codes, SMS codes or passwords.

In addition, always remember that: Companies with which you have a customer relationship know you by name. Your bank and your card provider will never contact you by e-mail to ask for information.