Fake Auto Trader emails

These phishing emails claim to be official correspondence, but the link will take the user through to a copy of a website designed to capture your account details as you try to log in.

Why do I need a secure password?

Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated all the time, so it’s important to make their lives as difficult as possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is by using a complex password to make it harder for fraudster to discover your log in details.

The most straightforward way of a fraudster getting to your personal details is by them guessing, so never use “password”, your name or the names of loved ones. Some of the more advanced techniques used by fraudsters include running programs that will attempt to gain access by inputting random words.

Good password tips

• Make the password 14 or more characters long
• Use a random mix of letters, numbers and punctuation
• Use a mix of upper and lower case characters
• The greater variety of characters, the more secure the password will be

Passwords to avoid

• Complete words in any language are vulnerable
• Common misspellings, abbreviations and words written backwards don’t make good passwords
• Personal information, like your passport number, birthday and name should be avoided
• Avoid number or word sequences, or adjacent keyboard letters

Security

• Never hand over your user name or password if you get an email request asking for this. Web scammers are always keen to steal web identities. If you’re in doubt, contact Customer Services on 0845 345 3450 or enquiries@autotrader.co.uk
• Don’t use passwords on computers you don’t control, such as in airport lounges or internet cafes. Some criminals have access to devices which can recover keystroke information, including passwords
• Keep your password secret
• Storing passwords on a computer file makes them easily accessible by others
• If passwords have to be written down, find somewhere secure to keep the information
• Don’t use one password for different websites. Create multiple combinations for different sites.

Tips for creating a good password

• Write a sentence and use the first letter from each word.
• Mix upper and lower case letters
• Make it longer with a mix of numbers, punctuation and symbols.
• Test your password using Microsoft’s password strength checker