Why you have to keep an eye on web links

I received the following text recently: “We have identified an unusual login attempt on your online banking. Log in via the secure link to avoid account suspension – www.iamaspammer.com”

Oh no – someone’s got into my account.

Yeah, right. But had I followed the (secure?) link to the website given, I would undoubtedly have found someone HAD accessed my online banking.

This sort of text makes me equally sad and mad.

Mad because there are increasing numbers of low-lifers out there trying to tempt the unwary to give away, unwittingly, their personal details.

And sad because there is no doubt that a few of the squillions of people sent this text would have followed the link.

Not because they are plain stupid but because the link started with the name of my bank. The rest of the url was clearly not genuine.

So, another timely reminder to my reader to take care with texts or emails. If in any doubt, ignore the message and call your bank on a number that you trust and that you know is right.

It will cost £110 to kit yourself out in the new England football strip in readiness for the World Cup in Russia, which starts in June. That works at a fraction over £35 a match. Bargain.