Halifax Online Goes Offline.....

[Guest Grim Reaper]

Halifax has taken its web site offline in response to the widespread circulation of fraudulent emails targeting its customers this weekend.

In a statement emailed out to customers on Saturday, Halifax said: "In the interests of the security of our customers we have temporarily closed the online service in order that we can communicate the issue to online customers and to make improvements in the service to further safeguard online accounts.

"Please note that we would never send you emails that ask for confidential or personal security information."

A Halifax spokesman confirmed that its online banking facilities were currently offline. Halifax expects to restore normal service later today (Monday, October 27), he added.

Other banks targeted by phishing scams have kept their sites online. So why has Halifax pulled its site? Taking the site offline means Halifax's 1.5 million online customers will have to fall back on the phone to manage their finances. It also takes out one avenue with which Halifax can warn users about the problem. What does Halifax hope to achieve?

A spokesman said: "We felt it was better to bring the site down and make changes and then bring everything back up in its together. We want to tackle the problem in its totality."

When the scam came to Halifax's attention on Saturday it tracked the problem back to a fraudulent replica of its site, hosted in Russia. We understand from Reg readers that this site loaded a copy of the legitimate Halifax website in a separate window as well as a form designed to dupe users into handing over sensitive account information.

Halifax is unaware of anyone who handed over sensitive account information, but the bank maintains it made sense to "temporarily close its facilities".

Halifax says it acted cautiously and in the best interests of users. We are unconvinced that its decision to take its facilities offline was justified.

Some Halifax customers have already written to us to criticise the suspension of online facilities.

The Register

[Boris]

Its working fine tonight ! :D

[kevvyb]

I find Halifax's security a little bit over the top.

Needing to transfer some funds from my web account quickly yesterday, I went to their website for the first time for a number of weeks only to find that my online account had been 'deactivated'.

Telephoning them to find out the reason the 'customer service' person said:

"...we have had some mail we sent you returned to us"

"...no we can't tell you when it was received back"

"...no we can't tell you what it was about"

"...you will need to go into your nearest branch with ID before we will reactivate your account"

"...no you will not be able to draw cash today at the branch from your websaver account"

Halifax had not attempted to telephone me or email me but instead left me to discover their action when I most needed to access the service!

".....we get too many items of post returned to do this"

I am waiting for a response from them but I am closing the account anyway. If this is going to happen everytime a bit of post is not delivered (courtesy of Royal Mail - happens all the time around here) I'll never be able to access the account anyway.

This experience along with the convulutions needed to register in the first place and the complete administrative incompetence when they set up my mortgage led me to decline when the branch cashier asked if I had thought of transferring my current account to Halifax! He did at least authorise a cheque withdrawal on the spot. The least that could be done in my opinion.

What a bunch of "%£$ers.