We want you to feel safe as part of our online community. So we've put together some information to help you avoid malicious activity such as phishing and online scams – keeping you in control and keeping your sensitive information safe.

Phishing is when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims. The aim is often to make you visit a website, which may download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information. Examples include falsely claiming to be a legitimate company when sending an e-mail to a user, in an attempt to get the user to send private information that will be used for identity theft and fraud.

John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners will never contact you via e-mail or text message asking you to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Should you receive an email claiming to be from John Lewis & Partners or Waitrose & Partners requesting this kind of information, please do not respond. Forward the email to the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) using the email address report@phishing.gov.uk.

Should you receive a text message claiming to be from John Lewis & Partners or Waitrose & Partners requesting this kind of information, please do not respond. Most phone providers are part of a scheme that allows customers to report suspicious text messages for free by forwarding it to 7726. If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender, if it’s found to be malicious.

If you don’t recognise the sender, don’t open the email. Be especially wary of potentially malicious emails in your spam folder.

Does the sender want you to act fast to avoid “missing out”? Never be hurried into making an online transaction or sharing confidential information until you know for sure that it’s legitimate.

Are there mistakes – in the email address, subject line, email content or website address? This is often a sign that it’s fake. 

Don’t click on links or attachments in unsolicited emails.
Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it very often is. Legitimate emails will end in:

• johnlewis.com
• johnlewis.co.uk
• eml.johnlewis.com

But a phishing email will differ. This could be a change in spelling, wording or format, such as:

• johnlewispartners.com
• johnlewispartnerships.com
• jlpartners@gmail.com
• john1ewis.co.uk

Our website URLs will always contain johnlewis.com or johnlewisfinance.com. For example, our customer support information can be found at www.johnlewis.com/customer-services. 

If you hover your cursor over the URL in an email from us and it doesn’t look like that, then it’s not legitimate. We don’t operate any separate “discount” websites.

Don’t give out any personal information over the phone before you’ve verified who you’re speaking to. If in doubt, you can always call our customer services team back using the registered number from our contact us page, or tap the link in our app. You can also check with them if an email you’ve received is authentic or not.

Remembering multiple passwords can be tricky, but setting effective and secure passwords is vital to help prevent fraudulent activity. Here are our top tips when setting a password:

• Avoid using the same password for all of your online accounts. That’ll mean they can’t all be fraudulently accessed at once. Multiple passwords keep you safer.

• For guidance on creating a strong password visit the National Cyber Security Centre.

• Consider using a reputable password manager application where you can manage all your unique passwords in one place.

We're committed to your privacy, and we've recently updated our privacy policy. Read our full Privacy Notice.

Cookies are tiny text files stored on your computer when you visit certain web pages. We use cookies to keep track of what you have in your basket and to remember you when you return to our site.

We also use banner advertising on other websites to present you with products we think may be of interest to you, based on your browsing history.

Find out more about cookies and banner advertising, why and how we use them, and how to manage them.

We maintain the highest levels of security on johnlewis.com – and take the privacy and security of your payment and personal details very seriously.

• Our site uses high-level SSL encryption technology, the most advanced security software currently available for online transactions.

• You can tell whether a page is secure as 'https' will replace the 'http' at the front of the www.johnlewis.com in your browser address window. A small locked padlock will also appear in the bottom bar of your browser window.

• Only connect to secure wireless networks that you trust.

• Our checkout process uses Verified by Visa, Mastercard® SecureCode™. and American Express SafeKey SM. These services enhance your existing card account against unauthorised use when you shop with us.

• To use these services, you must first register with the bank or other organisation that issued your card.

Click on the images below to find out more:

Using an unsecured network in a public place can be risky because unauthorised people may try to intercept anything you're doing online. We recommend you only connect to secure wireless networks that you trust, and to always be aware of the risks associated with using public WiFi.

Secure free WiFi is available in our shops.

For more information, the National Cyber Security Centre website is a great resource. Here you’ll find further advice and guidance on what to look out for, how to protect yourself from online fraud, and how to report suspicious emails and websites.  

If you believe you’re the victim of a fraud or cyber-enabled crime, please report it to Action Fraud.  If this crime involves your banking information, contact your bank fraud team by dialling 159 – a service operated by Stop Scams UK.