How to bank safely online

Online and mobile banking are designed to keep your money safe. While banks have strong security measures, there are steps you can take to increase your banking security.

Here, we look at:

Our top security features

Ways you can keep your money safe

What to do if you notice suspicious activity

Our top security features

Understanding what checks are in place can help give you peace of mind when banking digitally.

Enhanced security with your Mobile Banking PIN or Secure Key

Your Mobile Banking PIN or Physical Secure Key provides an extra layer of protection against fraud. It generates a temporary security code, to make sure only you can access your accounts on the HSBC UK Mobile Banking app and online.

Explore: Help with Mobile Banking PIN or Physical Secure Key
Fingerprint and face recognition for quick and secure access

Depending on your device, you can use fingerprint (Touch ID/Android Fingerprint) or face recognition (Face ID) to log in securely and conveniently.

Explore: Help with biometrics
Freeze and unfreeze your card instantly

If you think you’ve lost your card or notice suspicious activity, you can temporarily freeze it anytime through our mobile app or online banking. If you find your card later, you can unfreeze it instantly.

Explore: How to freeze or unfreeze your card
Report lost or stolen cards quickly

If your card is lost or stolen, you can report it immediately. This stops your card from being used and allows you to order a replacement card straight away.

Explore: Help with lost, stolen or damaged cards
Make sure you’re paying the right person

We use a name-checking service called Confirmation of Payee (CoP) to help protect you from authorised push payment scams and reduce errors. This service allows you to verify the name of the person or business you’re paying, to make sure it matches who they claim to be.

Explore: How does name checking work?

What is an unauthorised payment?

An unauthorised payment occurs when money is taken from your current or savings account without your permission. In such cases, we’ll refund the amount, including any charges or interest, as long as you’ve kept your security details safe.

Ways you can keep your money safe

Here are steps you can take to can protect yourself further:

Create strong unique passwords

Complex online passwords might feel like a hassle, but they do an important job protecting your personal information.

Strong passwords are your first line of defence. Here's how to create them:

Use a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
Choose longer passwords or string together unrelated words
Enable biometric security like fingerprint or face recognition for mobile banking
Use two-factor authentication (2FA), also known as multi-factor authentication (MFA), for added protection

Remember: never share your digital or mobile banking logon details with anyone, even if they claim to be from the police or your bank.

Keep your devices secure and your software up to date

Make sure your phone, tablet or computer is secure by keeping your operating systems up to date.

You can set laptops and desktops to install software updates automatically as soon as they become available. The same goes for app updates on your devices.

Choose to install them whenever you’re connected to Wi-Fi and a new update is available, or at night when your device is plugged in. This way, you'll get the latest security enhancements, which make it difficult for hackers to gain access.

You should also install anti-virus software from a well-known, reputable and trusted company to protect your device from any malicious activity.

Look for secure connections

Look for a padlock icon in the address bar to confirm your web connection is secure. But remember, the padlock doesn’t guarantee an authentic site.

For example, if you’re on hsbc.co.uk and see a green padlock, you know you’re securely interacting with HSBC. But if you’re on hs8c.co.uk, you could still see a green padlock, but you wouldn’t be interacting with us. You might be on a site that’s been set up to trick you into thinking that’s what you’re doing.

So always make sure a website is genuine by checking the address for subtle misspellings, extra words, characters, or other irregularities. Sites like Trustpilot can help you work out if a site is legitimate.

Shop and transfer money safely

When shopping or transferring money:

Check for the padlock icon in the address bar before entering your personal or payment details
Only fill in mandatory fields during transactions
Avoid saving payment details on retailer websites
Use secure payment methods like credit cards or PayPal
Never pay by bank transfer unless you trust the seller

Be aware of scams

Even after you’ve put these security measures in place, you need to be mindful of how criminals typically get in touch. This could be through phone calls (vishing), text messages (smishing) or emails (phishing).

Remember: