Quarter of public cannot spot phishing emails

Despite the fact that banks never contact their customers that way

Twenty per cent of consumers only use credit cards or accounts when they shop online

More than a quarter of people concerned about phishing admit they cannot tell the difference between a legitimate and a bogus email.

And 82 per cent think responsibility for protecting against phishing lies to some extent with their internet service providers (ISPs), says a survey for security supplier Cloudmark.

The emphasis on ISPs echoes House of Lords report on personal internet security published earlier this month.

'It is nearly impossible for consumers to keep up with the large volume and sophistication of today’s phishing attacks on their own - some phishing sites are so realistic that they fool even the savviest Internet user,' said a spokesman for Cloudmark.

Six per cent of banking customers had responded to emails claiming there was a problem with their account, said the survey.

But some consumers are starting to moderate their online habits. Twenty nine per cent only use certain credit cards or accounts when they shop online, and 20 per cent have decreased the frequency of their online shopping.