Online banking fans like the fact they save time and effort by handling many banking transactions from home - but users are also exposed to security risks. Online banking in particular is a popular target for many criminals because it is not uncommon for them to be able to steal large sums of money.

Phishing: password theft by e-mail

In online banking, customers prove their identity with a PIN or password and TAN. Internet criminals therefore try to spy on this data and use it to get their hands on the bank customer's money. The technical term for this illegal procedure is phishing. Additional important information on phishing and malware.

Data thieves send e-mails that look and feel like official e-mails from banks and credit institutions. These e-mails ask customers to click on a link that supposedly refers to the bank's website, using a variety of pretexts. In reality, however, one click takes the user to a fake website that looks like the bank's website. There, users are asked to enter their account number, PIN and some TANs. With this data, the criminals can then carry out transactions illegally, depending on the TAN procedure used.

Criminals also obtain personal data and e-mail addresses from specific user groups in lots of different ways and target them with customised messages. For example, phishing messages are increasingly spreading via social networks. Here, criminals send the fake messages via manipulated accesses in the name of unsuspecting users. Since the "victim" trusts the friend, the probability of falling for such messages and opening attachments or following links increases. A general tip: never give your access data in any digital message!

You can find out what you should pay attention to when banking online, especially with mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, under Mobile Banking.