Experts warn against nine common password mistakes that could leave your account open to hackers

Digital scams are seemingly ever on the rise as hackers use increasingly sophisticated methods to get access to our private information - but there is an easy way to ensure your accounts are protected from online fraud.

Having a strong password can help to safeguard everything from social media accounts to online banking, preventing fraudsters from stealing your cash or personal data. But despite this, figures show that as many as two-thirds of people use the same password for multiple accounts - which could open them up to hackers, The Mirror reports.

There are also some common words and phrases that many people use to make their password easier to remember, such as a number sequence or personal details like street names, surnames or pet names - but unfortunately, if you've made it easier for yourself to guess, chances are you have made it easier for potential scammers too. According to advisors at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk, it's best opt for a secure password of at least eight characters using a combination of upper and lower case letters, symbols and numbers.

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John Stirzaker, consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes, said: "The moment someone has figured out one of your passwords, it's more than likely they'll target the rest of your accounts, especially your banking apps. Hackers can attempt to log into your email and change the passwords on all of your accounts, giving them full access to your information."

Brits lost £1.2bn to fraud in 2022 according to bank industry group UK Finance, so it's more important than ever to make sure you're protected. Here's the full list of password mistakes you should avoid and why, according to the experts:

1. The same passwords for each account - If a hacker cracks one password and it's used for all of your other accounts, they'll have full access to your information and potentially bank details.
2. Name of pets - If you have pictures of pets across your social media, a potential hacker can test out the name when getting into your account, it is also a common bank security question.
3. The word 'password' or anything like 'password 1' - This is usually the first step online criminals will test out, particularly if they think you're less tech-savvy.
4. Putting 1 after a name - If you've changed your password after noticing an unusual attempt to log into your account, don’t just simply pop a "1" after your password, as a hacker may test this out. Change it up completely.
5. Surnames - Avoid using your surname in the passcode or any mention of it even with special characters afterwards. It's an easy code for hackers to predict and it'll allow them to access your information quicker.
6. Obvious patterns such as 1,2,3,4 - Having "1234" in the password is an easy code to crack, so be unique when using numbers or special characters.
7. All caps - Having caps in the password strengthens its protection against scammers, but simply having all of it in caps makes it weaker. Be savvy with capital letters by using them on random letters rather than all of them.
8. Mum's maiden name - A typical bank security question asks this. It means even if hackers can't get the password right but know the answer, they may be able to access your funds.
9. Street name - A home address is one of the easiest pieces of information hackers can find. If you have a typical street name, a hacker can use the information to get into your account.