The New Zealand Bankers' Association is urging bank customers to take commonsense steps to combat online banking fraud as Fraud Awareness Week kicks off.
The association and some of its member banks have attempted in the past to transfer more of the liability for fraudulent transactions to customers but have backed down in face of opposition from consumer groups and the media.
Spokesman Philip van Dyk said customers would be covered for losses "in cases of genuine fraud".
But the association asked customers to help them by:
* not giving pins numbers or internet banking usernames or passwords to anyone.
* keeping anti-virus and firewall software up to date.
* logging on to internet banking by typing in the bank's full web address and not using links that appear to take them to the bank's website.
* checking they have a secure connection, which is shown by a padlock symbol somewhere on the page, and that the website address starts with "https://". The "s" stands for "secure".
* not using public computers in internet cafes, libraries or hotels for internet banking.
* only providing information such as their date of birth, address, driver's licence number and passport details to trusted people and organisations.
"Online fraud to watch out for includes hoax emails purporting to be from your bank and asking you to update your personal information such as pins and logon details. Your bank will never ask you for this confidential information," association chief executive Martin Philipsen said.
"Customers should also be aware of websites that ask for personal banking details. These can redirect you to a replica of your bank's website, which is designed to steal personal information."
The Consumer Affairs Ministry has claimed New Zealanders are losing more than $400 million a year to scammers. Online and electronic fraud now make up the majority of all attempted scams.
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