On 17 May, the World Internet Day is celebrated globally. Established in 2005, this day aims to promote internet access worldwide and help disseminate the possibilities offered by new technologies. At Banco Sabadell, we join this initiative by highlighting the need to use digital tools responsibly and share basic tips to ensure safe navigation on the web.

Today, internet access has become a top priority for most of us. The immense possibilities of the web have profoundly transformed the way we shop, work, entertain ourselves and interact with each other. All this activity has simultaneously made it necessary for everyone, both companies and their customers, to adopt practices and policies that ensure the highest levels of security in our online activities. We remind you that at the bottom of the main page of our website (www.bancsabadell.com), you will find a link to our security policies section.

Cyber threats on the internet are numerous and varied, from phone calls impersonating official entities or organisation to e-mails with malicious links or attachments. Here are some of the most relevant threats:

What is malware?

Malware is malicious software designed to do harm to the user. There are also specific types of malware or banking trojan programmes that can infect your computer or mobile device to obtain all your personal data or display a fake security update to gain access and operate in your place.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a type of cyber crime characterised by attempting to fraudulently acquire confidential information, such as your banking passwords or detailed credit card information. The most common phishing methods are via phone calls, e-mails, or social networks, where attackers impersonate a bank or a recognised company and, exploiting the user’s trust, request account passwords or card PINs. Cyber criminals use any pretext to trick the user into ‘updating’ their online banking details through a page that mimics the bank’s website.

Threats in online shopping and e-commerce

E-commerce sites are where users trust their banking details, making them prime targets for cyber criminals. Fraud in electronic commerce can have two goals: to steal the user’s banking data, or to defraud the customer of money paid for a product that will not be delivered.

Recently, such fraud has also become common on second-hand product portals, where fake buyers steal the seller’s credit card information through false product collection instructions.

Fraud prevention measures by Banco Sabadell

  • Fraud prevention measures:
  • Banco Sabadell implements various transaction limits as a fraud prevention mechanism. A PIN is required for contactless card payments over certain amounts, and there are daily limits for withdrawing from ATMs. If we detect unusual patterns or transactions, we will contact you.
  • Measures to enhance web security:
  • Our security certificates authenticate Banco Sabadell websites, so you can always ensure that the web page you are on is really from Banco Sabadell and, therefore, 100% secure. Our certificates make our websites secure channels to neutralise threats to the confidentiality of your data through encrypted communication and prevent unauthorised third parties from accessing this flow of information.
  • How to know if our websites are secure? 
  • When you browse our website you will see that it always begins with https:// and not just http:// which would indicate that it might not be totally secure. What’s more, you will always see a padlock on our website, which means that the connection is secure and your information is completely private while you browse our site. You can also access more information about the current security certificate by clicking on the padlock icon. Therefore, if you come across a website that appears to be Banco Sabadell but does not have https:// or the padlock icon, be cautious and do not enter your confidential information.
  • Measures to ensure 100% security in our online banking operations:
  • The information about your last login on our website can help you determine if your identity has been impersonated online. For example, if you see a session was started in the early morning and it was not you, it may mean that your security has been breached and a third party may have accessed your accounts
  • Our Banco Sabadell apps use Digital Signature systems, which include additional controls to help detect whether the operation was initiated by you or if another user is behind the app.

Fraud prevention measures users should adopt

But security also needs to be especially maintained from the user’s side. Here are five rules to follow whenever you enter the web, especially if you need to perform financial transactions:

Password management tips:

  • Change your passwords periodically, both your card PINs and your online banking password. Better yet, diversify them, so that you use one password for each of your accounts.
  • Keep your passwords in a secure place where no one else can see or access them. For example, avoid writing your credentials on a sticky note and leaving it on you monitor where it is visible to everyone. The best thing that you can do is simply not write them down at all, so they are not exposed to anyone. There are password management programs that can help you avoid having to memorise them. It is very important that the password you use to protect this manager is difficult to guess, sufficiently robust, and change it if you suspect it may have been compromised.

Tips for keeping a close eye on your security

  • Always use e-mail securely. Be wary of e-mails sent from unknown sites or containing inconsistent information. Be wary of any e-mail or message that asks you to enter data, especially if it comes from unknown addresses or leads to links or attachments. Another clue to suspect e-mails or messages from unknown sources is that they are often filled with spelling mistakes or grammatical inconsistencies. Do not provide your credentials or personal data via e-mail.


Device security tips:

  • Keep both your mobile phone’s operating system and apps updated.
  • Avoid installing apps from unknown sources. We recommend downloading apps from official and certified sites, such as Google Play Store or App Store.
  • Install an anti-virus program on your computer and your mobile phone.

Tips for your online purchases:

  • Be wary of e-commerce sites offering products significantly below market prices. Cyber criminals often lure attention with absurdly low offers that are unrealistic for a conventional e-commerce site. For example, if you find that camera you have been searching for priced at €400 instead of €2,000, do not fall for it.
  • Be wary of e-commerce sites with 100% positive opinions and also those which you do not find any information about on the internet.
  • Deactivate your card for online payments. This maximises your security because you control when online purchases are made, preventing others from using your card for online payments by impersonating you. You can deactivate or activate this feature through the Banco Sabadell app whenever you want. How to do it It’s very easy. Go to ‘your cards’, select the one you want to deactivate, and in the bottom menu, in ‘Settings’, you will find the option ‘Do you want to use your card online?’ With a simple tap you can turn off this option and turn it back on when you want.

Tips for safe browsing on the internet

  • Make sure that the websites you connect to use https:// instead of http:// and that you are on the correct page. Look at the address bar. If it starts with https, a padlock will be displayed. When you click on the padlock, check that the address is written correctly.
  • Avoid accessing websites of dubious reputation.

By following these tips, we can all protect ourselves against the most common threats and forms of fraud on the internet. If you have any doubts, we remind you that our institution has a support team available 24/7 at phone number +34 963 085 000, at info@bancsabadell.com, or on our social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram).