What makes our Internet Banking secure?
Authorised push payment (APP) scams voluntary code
A new voluntary code was launched to help protect customers from APP scams.
M&S
Bank is pleased to be amongst the first banks to sign up to the APP code and is committed to
protecting
our customers from fraud and scams.
If you have been a victim of an APP scam, beware if someone contacts you and tells you they can help
with
your claim, it may be a further scam. Please contact us yourself so that we can investigate your
case.
For more information on the new voluntary code, visit the Lending Standards
Board website.
Confirmation of Payee (CoP)
CoP is a name checking service to help protect against authorised push payment (APP) scams and reduce
the number of payments which are made by mistake. When you set up a new payment or amend an existing
payment, it lets you check you're paying the right person or business so you can see if the name
matches who they say they are. CoP also lets a person or business sending you a payment check your
name matches your account. It is important, when sharing details to set up a new payment, that you
provide the FULL name on your account.
We're working closely with other industry participants to introduce the new CoP service in a consistent way. This means:
- we're now able to respond to CoP requests sent by other banks for payments made to our customers
- we're working to request CoP checks from other banks for payments sent by our customers
Find out more information about CoP by visiting the UK Finance website
Password protection
When you first register for Internet Banking, you'll be asked to set up a password. We make sure you
can only use strong passwords that must have a mix of letters and numbers. This makes it difficult
for
anyone to guess your password.
M&S PASS
M&S PASS provides you with an extra layer of protection against online fraud. An M&S PASS generates a
unique, single use security code that you'll need to enter when you sign in to Internet Banking, and
also when you verify certain transactions when using Internet Banking. To generate the code, you
need a PIN known only by you - or you can use Touch ID, Face ID or Android Fingerprint if your
device has these features. The M&S PASS is a type of two-factor authentication that lets us know
it's you that's accessing your account, and nobody else. You can either use a Digital M&S PASS (part
of the M&S Banking App) or a physical M&S PASS (a device that looks a bit like a mini calculator).
Secure sessions
When you sign in to Internet Banking you can be assured any information you give or access is secure.
Equally, when you fill in one of our online forms, your details are stored securely on our site. One
indicator that shows you're in a secure area is if the web address starts with https:// and there's
a closed padlock at the top of the page as part of the address bar (this doesn't guarantee
security).
Automatic timeout
If you forget to log out of your account or your computer remains inactive for a period of time, the
session will end automatically, logging you out.
Automatic lock-outs
After a number of unsuccessful attempts to enter your sign-in details, we'll suspend online access to
your account – just in case someone other than you (or someone authorised to act on your
behalf)
is trying to log in. If your security details have been locked, you can reset them by following the
instructions on our 'How to reset your password'
page. Alternatively, you can call our Customer
Services team any time on 0345 900 0900.
