Protect yourself against the threat of fraud

NHS staff should be vigilant at all times…

In these days where we mainly conduct our work and personal lives using technology, the threat of fraud is always lurking in the background.

And with International Fraud Awareness Week, 14 November to 20 November, just around the corner this is a good time to look at how we can protect ourselves from a potentially devastating crime.

You can take simple steps such as regularly changing your ESR password and closely monitoring your bank account statements to make sure funds have not been diverted.

Use a separate password for your work account and never reveal your password, which should be strong and memorable and avoid dates, family and pet names, to anyone.

It is also a very good idea to enable and use two-factor authentication (2FA) by using the NHS Smartcard if this is possible – this makes it harder for criminals to access your online accounts, even if they know your password.

And bear in mind, when it comes to your ESR details and online activity:

• Payroll, HR and ESR teams will never email you and ask you to login
  to ESR by clicking on a link
• Should you receive an email of this nature purporting to be from payroll, HR
  or ESR teams asking to update your ESR details do not respond and/or
  give out personal details
• You should never click on any suspicious looking links as this can provide verification of your active email address and may facilitate the targeting of
  further malicious emails
• Be vigilant of email addresses which appear to be from your
  NHS organisation but are slightly altered, email addresses that are not
  recognised, or that use public domains (such as @gmail.com)
• If in doubt, verify the authenticity of the email by contacting the sender through your
  normal means of communication. Do not reply or call any number in the email

If you believe you have been a victim of cyber enabled payment diversion fraud, contact Eleni Gill our Local Counter Fraud Specialist.

You can also carry out a credit history check to help identify if any loans, mortgages or any other type of credit have been taken out in your name.