Online bank transactions

The Malta Bankers’ Association is warning customers to be vigilant when using internet banking facilities because of recent attempts by hackers to tamper with online transactions.

It informed customers to be on the alert for any unusual features or occurrences upon accessing and during the use of internet banking sessions. It said no damage had occurred but it urged customers to contact their bank immediately if they noticed anything out of the ordinary.

“Banks in Malta have not made any changes to their internet banking or security identification procedures. Therefore, users who notice unfamiliar or repeated requests to input security codes should contact their bank without delay,” the association advised. It recommended users to regularly carry out antivirus checks on their computers and ensure security patches were up to date.

In addition, users should ensure their browsers displayed the clickable security-lock feature for the entire online banking session, use the latest internet browser versions and make sure anti-phishing features were turned on.