FEATURE: BUSINESS BANKING & FINANCE


Barclays campaign tackles cybercrime


Barclays has launched a nationwide campaign to help small businesses tackle cybercrime and fraud, with new research suggesting that online fraud has resulted in the loss of more than 50,000 British jobs to date as SMEs had to make redundancies to recover costs. The findings


were unveiled at a recent cyber-skills masterclass for Barclays Business Banking clients hosted by football legend and business owner Sol Campbell. The research conducted by


YouGov for Barclays, as part of their nationwide campaign to help small businesses tackle cybercrime


16 Chamber Profile July/August 2018


‘44% of SMEs surveyed in the South West have been targeted by fraud’


and fraud, has found that over two in five (44%) of SMEs surveyed in the South West have been targeted by fraud. Of those targeted, over one in 10 (12%) fell victim, compared to the national average of 23% and


surprisingly, 31% said they spent nothing on fraud prevention training in the past year. The average cost


of a fraud to a business was almost


£35,000. In 2017, Barclays also hosted webinars attended


by almost 7,000 SMEs to help keep them safe, and aims to raise that figure to 30,000 this year.


Sol’s top tips to help SMEs show fraudsters the red card:


1. Strong defence The best way to keep attackers out is a strong password. It's much harder for fraudsters if you use lower and upper case letters, along with numbers and symbols.


2. Build a wall Protect your computers with anti- virus software, as well as a good firewall, and keep software updated regularly. Delete unsolicited emails with links and attachments as these could allow fraudsters to infect your device.


3. Call offside If something feels wrong speak up and check it. Don’t assume a call, text, email or invoice is genuine, fraudsters can sound convincing. Never move funds to a ‘safe account;’ even if the request appears to have come from your bank or CEO.


Football legend


Sol Campbell hosted a Barclays cyber- skills masterclass


4. Pay by the rules Have a clear procedure for making payments in your firm. Always check email requests to make payments or to change payment instructions by calling a trusted number, not by return email.


5. Team talk Every team is only as strong as your weakest link. Boost tactical knowledge and share guidance with your team.


Business owners should get in touch immediately with their bank if they feel they have been the victim of a scam.


Find out more on the Barclays fraud awareness site: barclays.co.uk/business- banking/manage/security


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