Online security

How to protect yourself

Be diligent and act with caution

Always act with caution before investing your money. Scammers are sophisticated in developing false websites, email addresses and phone numbers to impersonate banks and investment advisers, offering fake investments, bonds, and term deposits.

• If you are unsure if you are on the Heartland Bank website enter https://www.heartland.co.nz directly into your browser address bar.
• You can use the Financial Service Providers Register (search online for FPSR) to confirm you are dealing with a legitimate service provider.
• Before you transfer any money, make sure the account number matches the organisation you are intending to send the money to. Heartland Bank accounts always start with 03.
• Do not reply to unsolicited emails or phone calls offering you investment advice or services.
• Do not provide any personal information on investment comparison websites. These can be used by scammers to harvest your information and target you with realistic sounding scams.
• If a Heartland employee contacts you by phone to offer an investment product, such as a term deposit, we will follow this up with an email from an address ending in “@heartland.co.nz” confirming the details of your conversation.
• Avoid using devices which have been jail broken or contains malware, root kits, or spyware that can compromise passwords, PIN codes, or other personal data.

Don't respond to requests for your personal information

If you receive an email from an address which doesn’t end in @heartland.co.nz then it is not from Heartland Bank. If the email includes a link, hover over the link to check the URL.

• We will never send you an email with a link to our online banking platform.

If you receive a phone call or email requesting your password or Heartland Mobile App PIN, do not disclose your information. Record the details of your phone call and report the incident to the Heartland Bank security team.

• Never disclose your password to anyone, even if they say they’re calling from Heartland Bank.
• We will never ask you for your online banking password, or to read out a security code that we send you.

If you think someone else may know your password, or Heartland Mobile App PIN, we recommend that you change it immediately using the Heartland Mobile App or the Heartland Digital website.

If you receive an unexpected security code from Heartland Bank, either by email or text message, you should immediately secure your account and report the incident to the Heartland Bank security team.

Check you’re using secure applications and platforms

Only install apps from the official app store specific to your mobile device manufacturer.

Use the secure message function in the Heartland Mobile App and Heartland Bank websites.

Update your browser regularly

To ensure your devices support encryption, compatibility, and increased security, keep your browser up to date with the latest software version.

Be careful what you post on social media

Be careful what you share on social media.  Scammers use this information, including what they see in your pictures, to help them compromise your accounts, commit identity theft, and online fraud.

Update your password regularly

It’s easy to change your password at any time online using the My Settings option within the mobile app.

Consider using a password manager to help remember all your passwords, some offer additional features such as checking for data breaches. 

Visit https://www.cert.govt.nz for more information on choosing a password manager.

Install anti-virus and anti-spyware protection tools

It’s important to have these on both your computer and mobile phone and check regularly for updates. Regularly scanning your devises for threats, including potentially unwanted programs and spyware, helps to increase the chances of detecting online threats.

Create a safe online banking password

Setup multi factor authentication to protect your email account, and online banking. Choose a strong password that is easy to remember and different to any other passwords you use across the internet. Avoid passwords that can be easy to guess, such as your street name or number or date of birth. Never reuse your online banking password for anything else, including for other banks.

We recommend creating a long pass phrase of at least 20 letters that is easy to remember and includes punctuation.

Log off when you’re finished

Always click the log-out button especially if you use the Heartland Digital website at work or from a shared or public computer.

Contact us if the device you use to receive the passcode for access to your online banking is lost or stolen, or if you suspect any unauthorised use.

Visit https://ownyouronline.govt.nz for more information about how to protect yourself online.