Keeping safe at home

Unsolicited (spam) emails and letters are sent out to millions of people daily to try to gain personal information.

A common type of spam email is one used for “Phishing”. These look like they've been sent by a legitimate organisation. This could be a bank, HMRC, or other organisations such as PayPal or Amazon. They'll contain links to fake company websites which ask you to enter/ change your security settings. The fraudster then captures and uses the personal and account data to commit fraud.

Sometimes Phishing emails contain correct personal information such as your name but this doesn't mean it's genuine.

Spam emails can also be used to deliver computer viruses and malware. These can be used to capture data held on your computer.

Criminals also use letters and emails to send details of investment schemes. Criminals will use these schemes to promise substantial returns. These investments will either not exist or be worthless.

Ways to protect yourself against mail fraud include:

• Protect personal data in the same way you would your other valuables
• When disposing of information with personal data ensure it is shredded or burnt
• Delete unsolicited e-mails without opening, and never open any attachments
• Keep your computers, tablets and smart phones secure with up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spam software.
• Never provide personal information in response to an unsolicited contact. If it is genuine the caller will be happy that you go away and verify their identity