Bogus NatWest email

Some online banking customers have been receiving emails claiming to be from NatWest Bank, asking users to confirm their email address by entering their account details, including user id and PIN.

The link contained inside the emails may at first glance appear to be legitimate, but it is a scam to steal users' account details and potentially gain illegal access to accounts.

A typical version of the email follows:

Subject: NatWest E-mail Verification

Dear NatWest Bank Member, This email was sent by the NatWest server to verify your e-mail address. You must complete this process by clicking on the link below and entering in the small window your NatWest login ID, Password and PIN. This is done for your protection --- because some of our members no longer have access to their email addresses and we must verify it. To verify your e-mail address and access your bank account, click on the link below. If nothing happens when you click on the link (or if you use AOL), copy and paste the link into the address bar of your web browser.

<URL removed>

A variant of the scam reads as follows:

Dear Valued Customer,

- Our new security system will help you to avoid frequently fraud transactions and to keep your investments in safety.

- Due to technical update we recommend you to reactivate your account.

Click on the link below to login and begin using your updated NatWest account.

<url removed>

If you receive this or a similar message, you are advised not to reply to it or forward it to your friends and colleagues. The best advice is simply to delete the email.