How to protect yourself against phishing

There are several ways in which we secure your internet banking and online payments. To circumvent this protection, cybercriminals are increasingly trying to extort personal banking data from Internet users, such as account numbers and passwords. This practice is known as phishing.

An e-mail or WhatsApp message

Fraudsters send, for example, an e-mail or WhatsApp message in which they pretend to be employees of the bank, the government or another company. The message contains a link to a page asking you to leave your personal details. Some fraudsters will even call you directly or send you a personalised letter.

What we will never ask you

The best protection against phishing is vigilance. Don’t take every e-mail or message you receive at face value. “We never ask you to give us confidential information, such as your code or electronic signature, by phone or e-mail,” insists Hugues Colbrant, application security expert at BNP Paribas Fortis. If you receive such a request, you know that it is phishing.

If you still find yourself a victim of phishing, notify the local police immediately and contact us as soon as possible.

Can you tell the difference?

Can you recognise a phishing attempt from a genuine message?

Take the Safeonweb phishing test.
Discover our solutions for safe payments.

About Ask Your Bank

At BNP Paribas Fortis, we want to help you gain a greater understanding of money matters, which is why we asked more than 1,000 Belgians what their main money-related questions and concerns are. With the Ask Your Bank series, we aim to make your life easier by addressing those matters in a fully transparent way: another example of Positive Banking.