Please see below a message received from Dorset Police on behalf of Action Fraud –
Fraudsters regularly hack into personal online accounts to obtain details which will allow them to defraud you. To prevent fraudsters, it’s very important to use strong passwords when setting up and accessing online accounts and online banking.
Passwords should be memorable enough not to have to write them down and long enough to be unique and hard to guess, which will ensure they are less vulnerable to being stolen. If it is not possible to remember passwords a password manager could be used to store them securely.
Protect yourself:
• Make sure passwords are memorable so that you don’t have to write them down. Make sure they are unique.
• Th!nk ab0ut how you could change the l3tters in your n0rmal passw0rds to make them more difficult to gue55!
• Use long, non-dictionary words and use different ones for each of your personal accounts and online banking. Make sure you change them regularly.
• Make sure passwords are not stored on devices that have shared access by other people, for example in internet cafes and when using other public Wi-Fi.
If you believe you have become a victim of account hacking, change your passwords immediately and report to Action Fraud: www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud