How to avoid being conned

* Do not respond to any request for your login ID, password or PIN over the phone, through fax, email or pop-up messages.

* Take down the name, phone number and any other information you can from the caller who asks for the information

* Call your bank if you are not sure of the authenticity of a call, SMS or email. ATM machines also provide numbers that you can call.

* You can also call the Association of Banks in Malaysia's toll-free hotline at 1300-88-9980 and Bank Negara's at 1300-88-5465.

* Always enter the Universal Resource Locators (URLs) directly into the web browser. Avoid being redirected to the website or hyperlinked to it from an email or another website.

* Ensure that you are in a secure website by checking the URLs to ensure that it begins with "https://'" instead of "http://'" and look for a display of a closed padlock symbol on the status bar of your browser.

* Protect your personal computer from hackers, viruses and malicious programmes.

Source: Bank Negara corporate communications director Abu Hassan Alshari Yahaya.