Text Only Version Republic of Ireland Great Britain Bristol & West Isle of Man

Important Notice - Fraudulent Email Alert

Bank of Ireland wishes to advise customers that it has come to our attention that fraudulent emails are being circulated purporting to be from Bank of Ireland 365 online.

The fraudulent email (known as Phishing) directs the recipient to a website where they are asked to provide their personal banking information.

Please note that Bank of Ireland never requests customer information in this unsolicited manner. These emails are fraudulent, they are NOT from Bank of Ireland, and customers should ignore them.

Any unsolicited requests for Bank of Ireland account information, received through pop-up windows, emails, or web sites should be considered fraudulent and reported to Bank of Ireland 365 online, using the contact details outlined below.

If you receive one of these emails:

• Do not click any links
• Do not open any attachments
• Do not input any personal / account information
• Forward the email to 365security@boimail.com immediately
• Then delete it without clicking on any links or attachments

• + 353 1 404 4000 between 8am and 12 midnight Monday to Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays.
  + 353 56 775 7007 at all other times

Protecting your Accounts

The care of your cheque book, Business Cash Card, password(s), PIN and other security information is essential to prevent fraud and protect your Account. To help prevent fraud and protect your Account you should:

• Let us know as soon as possible when you change your name, address, phone number, or email address
• Check your statement or pass book regularly. If there is an entry, which seems to be wrong, you should tell us as soon as possible so that we can resolve it
• Sign your card as soon as you receive it
• Ensure your chequebook and card are not kept together. The cheque book and card should not be left in unattended premises or vehicles
• Always take reasonable steps to keep your card safe and PIN secret at all times. You must not tell your PIN to anyone or let anyone else use the card
• Never write down or record your PIN
• Destroy the notification of your pin as soon as you receive it
• Keep your transaction receipts safe and dispose of them carefully
• If you change your PIN, you should choose your new PIN carefully. Online banking is safe and convenient as long as you take a number of simple precautions. Please make sure that you follow the advice given below:
• Keep your PC secure. Use up-to-date anti-virus and spy ware software and a personal firewall
• Keep your password and PINs secret
• Treat emails you receive with caution and be wary of emails or calls asking you to reveal any personal security details. Neither the police nor we will ever contact you to ask you to reveal your online banking or payment card PINs, or your password information. It is essential that you tell us as soon as you can if you suspect or discover that:
• Your cheque book has been misused, lost or stolen;
• Someone else knows your passwords, PIN or other security information.

Security & Fraud

So you're a Lottery Winner! ....(or are you?)

The Bank of Ireland has become aware of a scam currently being carried out by various groups of international fraudsters. This involves victims being contacted by email in which they are advised that they have won the Lottery (...any lottery, it doesn't matter which one). No ticket purchase was necessary - according to the scammers. The victim is encouraged to pay a fee before the 'winning' lottery cheque is handed over. This scheme is a FRAUD. Do not become involved. The copy cheques and bank drafts, circulated by the criminals are WORTHLESS. Many appear to be for hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions of Euro - we repeat, these items are worthless.

In the normal course, we advise any individual who has received a message from a suspect email address to return it to the remitting Internet Service Provider's abuse address (e.g. abuse@hotmail.com , abuse@yahoo.co.uk etc).

The websites below may be of interest to readers:

• http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/
• http://www.ecic.ie/topics/scams.html
• http://www.interpol.int/public/FinancialCrime/FinancialFraud/LotteryFraud20050124.asp
• http://www.financialregulator.ie

Such attempts should be reported to your local Police.

Alert - Hoax Emails

A number of banking organisations and their customers have recently been the target of hoax e-mails that are aimed at gathering Internet/account details of the customers. Some of these hoax e-mails have encouraged or facilitated contact with hoax websites that purport to be (but are not) the website of the relevant banking organisation. To date the occurrence of such online fraud has not been extensive. However, we would always advise you to be cautious as regards disclosing your personal details. In particular, you should note that we will only ever request your personal details if: (i) you are seeking to initiate e-mail contact with us via this Website; or (ii) you initiate a request for a particular service via this Website, and we require certain of your personal details to provide you with the requested service and the requested service is a loan/credit card application, a mortgage application, a request for a telephone call from a sales advisor, or a request for a pensions information pack or other product information.

Alert - Advance Fee Fraud

Other types of email are also being circulated by criminals. These involve Advance Fee Frauds. Recent variations purport to have been issued by members of staff of a bank who seeks assistance to steal substantial sums of monies from dormant accounts. The criminals explain that the monies belong to some person who has passed away, perhaps in a plane crash or some such similar disaster. The information contained in the email is totally bogus, the sender is attempting to defraud the recipient. DO NOT RESPOND TO THESE EMAILS. Forward them to the relevant Internet Service Provider (e.g. abuse@hotmail.com or abuse@yahoo.co.uk) and notify your local Police.

At Bank of Ireland Group we are committed to ensuring the privacy of your information and seeking to attain the highest standards of security at all times. However, you should note that messages and information passing over the Internet may not be free from interference by third parties and should be independently verified. You should never disclose data over the Internet unless you have satisfied yourself as to the security of the related technology/encryption.

Please note that Bank of Ireland Group cannot guarantee the privacy or confidentiality of information relating to you that passes over the Internet. In accessing this Website and in availing of any of the services/information available on or via this Website, you are deemed by these Terms and Conditions of Use to accept that electronic mail messaging and Internet communication may not be free from interference by third parties and may not remain confidential.

In all circumstances the use by you of this Website is at your sole risk.

Choosing a cash machine

1 Put your personal safety first

2 Be aware of others around you. If someone close by the cash machine is behaving suspiciously or makes you feel uncomfortable please choose another machine

3 If there is anything unusual about the cash machine or there are signs of tampering, do not use the machine and report it to the bank or premises owner immediately

Using a cash machine

4 Give other users space to enter their PIN in private. We recommend standing about two metres away from the user in front of you until the person has completed their transaction. Some cash machines may have a safety zone marking out this area on the ground around the machine

5 Be aware of your surroundings, if someone is crowding or watching you, cancel the transaction and go to another machine

6 Do not accept help from 'well-meaning' strangers and never allow yourself to be distracted

7 Stand close to the cash machine and always shield the keypad to avoid anyone seeing you enter your PIN

Leaving a cash machine

8 Once you have completed a transaction, discreetly put your money and card away before leaving the cash machine

9 Dispose of your cash machine receipt, mini-statement or balance enquiry with care. Tear up or preferably shred these items before discarding them

10 If the cash machine does not return your card, report its loss immediately to your branch

If your ATM card has been lost or stolen or someone else knows your PIN, or personal security information, you must call our 24 hour emergency number.

Emergency numbers (24 hours)

For Customers in Great Britain:

LOST or STOLEN ATM CARD and/or CHEQUE BOOK(S)

020 7329 2449

LOST or STOLEN Bank of Ireland VISA BUSINESS CARD

020 7236 0177

For Customers in Northern Ireland:

LOST or STOLEN ATM CARD and/or CHEQUE BOOK(S)

028 9023 8333

LOST or STOLEN Bank of Ireland VISA BUSINESS CARD

028 9031 0303

Unless we can show that you have acted fraudulently or without reasonable care, your liability for the misuse of your card will be limited as follows:

• If someone else uses your card before you tell us it has been lost or stolen or that someone else knows your PIN, the most you will have to pay is £50
• If someone else uses your card details without your permission and your card has not been lost or stolen, you will not have to pay anything
• If someone else uses your card details without your permission for a transaction where the cardholder does not need to be present, you will not have to pay anything
• If your card is used before you have received it, you will not have to pay anything.

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