Phishing emails look like they're from your bank, and usually ask you to log into your online service to confirm your personal details and security information.

When you click the link in the email, you are taken to a ‘spoof’ site which looks like your bank's online service, but in fact has been set up by the person who sent the email. They hope that you will be fooled into giving away your confidential details.

Bank of Scotland International would never ask you to confirm your sign-in details in this way. The sender of the phishing email does not know you are a Bank of Scotland International online banking customer – they send emails to a huge number of addresses, knowing that some of the recipients will be Bank of Scotland International customers.

So how did they get hold of your email address? It will probably have been intercepted, or sold on, when you provided it over the internet for legitimate reasons. Bank of Scotland International would never pass on your details to anyone else.

How to spot a phishing email

Phishing emails usually include official-looking logos and information taken from legitimate websites in an effort to appear convincing. But there are things you can look out for, which should make you suspicious.

First and foremost, Bank of Scotland International would never send you an email asking you to verify your secure online banking details. Any email asking you to 'verify your account', 'confirm your sign in details', or using a similar form of words, is certainly a scam.

Secondly, beware of links in emails. Web addresses in phishing emails can be masked (disguised) so that they appear to be taking you to a trusted address, but in fact they point to somewhere different usually a spoof site that has been set up by the fraudsters, to try and get you to hand over your details. Genuine emails from the Bank of Scotland International do contain links, but never to the online banking sign in page. If you are in any doubt about whether an email is genuine, don't click the link.

What to do if you receive a phishing email

• Don’t follow any links in the email, or reply to it
• Forward the email to onlineemailinvestigations@hbosplc.com replacing the subject line with 'Report'
• Delete the suspicious email
If you are concerned that you may have disclosed any personal or security details, please call our helpdesk immediately on: 08458 50 06 29.

If you receive phishing emails from organisations other than Bank of Scotland International (such as other banks, eBay or PayPal), please contact those organisations directly to report the problem.

You may also wish to:

• Check that your anti-virus software is up to date – the email may also contain a virus
• Check that you have all the necessary browser and operating system updates installed (if you are running Windows, start by visiting Microsoft Security Home  (opens a new window))