How to protect yourself and how we help protect you
How we will protect you from fraud
We put measures in place to protect you from fraud, including following government guidance, having the appropriate data and security systems in place, and employing the best people to take care of your business with us.
What to do if you are a victim of fraud
If you think you have been the victim of a scam or fraud, please contact your financial services provider (building Society or bank) as soon as you can. You can contact Progressive Building Society on 02890 160950.
Our Policies
We have several policies in place which are constantly reviewed to make sure we are doing the right thing. These include our cookie policy, privacy policy, and legal notice.
How we communicate with you
It’s common for criminals to try and encourage you to disclose personal information about yourself. If we are communicating with you via phone, email, in person, or online, we may ask some security questions to help us confirm your identity, however we will never ask you to:
• Disclose security details, such as passwords or One Time Codes
• Log directly into our online service via a link in an email, text, or social media message
• Transfer your money to a safe account
• Update your details directly from a link in an email or text
Our online services
When using our online services, we ensure that our systems have the latest security features in place, including:
Two-factor Authentication – To make sure it’s really you that’s logging into your online service with Progressive, we log you in using two steps (two-factor authentication). When you register for our online service, we will provide you with two options of two-factor authentication which are: receiving a text message with a 6-digit security code each time you log in, or using an Authenticator App on your smart phone. You’ll need to use two-factor authentication each time you log in.
How you can protect yourself from fraud
While we will do what we can to protect you, there are several important things you should do yourself to stay safe.
Keep your devices secure
• Keep your personal devices (for example your computer, mobile, or tablet) up to date. It’s common for your device to ask you to update it regularly, its important that you do this as it means your device will have the latest security features.
• Ensure your computer or laptop has antivirus software and a firewall. Antivirus software scans your computer/laptop to detect and remove any malicious software.
• Safeguard your personal devices using a strong password
• Do not allow anyone you don’t know to access your computer/device, especially if they want to access the computer remotely.
• Be careful using public or unsecure wifi. It’s recommended that you don’t access private information, such as your online bank account, using public wifi.
Stop and think
Be on your guard for anything that happens out of the blue, doesn’t seem right, or appears too good to be true. If this happens, don’t let yourself be rushed or pressured into making a decision or sharing personal details. Never divulge your online banking details to anyone, even a member of staff from Progressive. Remember, Progressive Building Society will never contact you by email or telephone to ask you for confirmation of these details. If a bank or building Society calls you unexpectedly, you can use the Financial Services Register and Warning List to check that the firm you are dealing with is genuine.
Practice good email security
You can help protect yourself from email scams by being aware of what signs to look out for. Be vary of an email that shows any of the following:
• The sender’s email address doesn’t look right, or doesn’t match the organisation’s website address
• The email contains poor grammar or spelling mistakes
• The email contains generic information, E.g. “Dear customer”
• The email asks for you for personal information
• The email advises that something is wrong and requests urgent action to fix it
• You were not expecting the email
• The email contains a prominent website link.
What to do if you think you have received a malicious email
If you receive an email that you believe is malicious, delete it immediately. Do not click any links within the email, call any telephone numbers provided, or reply to the email. Genuine emails can always be resent.
To report a malicious email or query anything you aren’t sure of, please contact us on 02890 160950.
Speak to our team today
We’d love to talk you through the mortgage process and help you find a suitable product. For more information or to apply for an account, you can call us, email us, pop into one of our 11 branches. We look forward to hearing from you.