Phishing

Phishing is an illegal attempt to acquire sensitive information. It is done for malicious reasons by impersonating a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication, where you receive an email from a scam artist attempting to obtain your sensitive information such as your password, National ID Card number, date of birth, credit card information and/or bank account information. You can avoid this type of scam by taking following measures:

• Do not respond to emails requesting confidential information
• Be cautious when opening attachments, especially executable files
• Do not click on any link within an email. Instead, always type https://www.hblibank.com.pk to access HBL InternetBanking
• Do not call phone numbers within suspicious emails. Instead, call HBL PhoneBanking at 111-111-425 . and visit our website www.hbl.com for more details.
• Pay close attention to the URL to check if it is bank’s official page starting with ‘https://’ and that the lock icon appears just before the URL.

Vishing & Smishing

Mobile computing refers to a variety of devices that allow people to access data and information from wherever they are. Information security is especially important for people who work remotely. Following are the precautionary measures for secured mobile computing:

• Don’t store sensitive information or passwords on mobile devices including laptop.
• Be cautious about working with sensitive information over wireless. Most wireless connections are not encrypted, so your information may be leaked or exposed.
• Set devices to “ask” before joining networks so you don’t unknowingly connect to unsecured wireless networks.

Card Skimming

Card Skimming is an illegal way of capturing banking card details from the magnetic strip on the back of an ATM and Debit/Credit Card. Look at the ATM Machine carefully before you put your card inside the machine. A few of the warning signs are listed here:

• You notice something unusual on the ATM Machine e.g. an attached device
• You notice unusual or suspicious transaction on your account or credit card statement
• A shop assistant takes your card out of your sight to process your transaction
• You are asked to swipe your card through more than one machine

There are various ways to reduce card skimming risks. Few of them are listed below:

• Inspect highlighted areas​ of the ATM for anything unusual
• Always use your hand to shield your PIN when entering it
• Inspect the front of the ATM for unusual or non-standard appearance like scratches, marks, loose wires, glue or tape residues that could be indicators of tampering.
• Touch the keypad, customer card entry slot, and lighting diffusers to check if they are a little loose or are fake overlays.
• Report anything that looks unusual immediately to the HBL Phone Banking at 111-111-425 or the nearest branch of HBL

Securing Non-Digital Data

​Non-digital data means a physical representation of information including but not limited to photocopies, printed papers, hand written notes and verbal communication, which are not readable on a computer and/or similar devices. Attackers can also retrieve necessary data from the trash etc. where you dump your expired or blocked Credit/Debit card, statement of accounts, credit card statements, CNIC copy, blocked cheque books etc. Therefore, it is important to dispose off your confidential documents securely so that no one can misuse your confidential data. ​​You can view Secure Practices - Pakistan Banks’ Association (PBA) video here​​​