Banking fraud is real! Don’t let it ruin your festive season…
As the festive season draws ever nearer, cybercriminals will pull out all the stops to try and cheat consumers out of their hard earned money through banking fraud.
“Cybercrime is becoming increasingly sophisticated with fraudsters constantly finding new ways of carrying out their unlawful conduct, especially during busy periods like the festive season. Consumers should therefore be extra vigilant with their banking information and login details at all times,” Yolande Steyn, FNB’s Head of Innovation, said.
With that in mind, don’t panic and rather read the handy tips provided by FNB below to ensure you are always safe and secure in the digital space:
- Always keep your PIN and password secure. If you think your PIN or password has been compromised, change it immediately.
- Remember to change your passwords and PINs regularly.
- Never use the same username and password for banking as you use on other apps and websites like social media and email.
- Download your bank’s app to keep track of your accounts and transactions and have additional security with you 24/7. From a security point of view, you can approve legitimate transactions and stop fraudulent online banking transactions, report fraud for any suspicious transactions, and temporarily block or cancel your cards.
- Log on to your bank’s website by typing in the web address yourself instead of accessing it via Google search, as this may lead you to a spoofed site.
- Always do internet banking on a secure computer that you regularly use at home or work. Never do online banking in public areas such as Internet Cafe’s or shared computers, as you can never know what software is loaded that may compromise your transactions.
- Download free Trend Antivirus and Antimalware for your computer and/or smartphone.
- Update your smartphone and computer with the latest software and app updates.
- Monitor your cellphone reception. If you have lost signal for an unusually long time, you may be a victim of sim swop fraud. Immediately contact your bank’s fraud line to report a suspected Sim Swop.
- Never open suspicious or unfamiliar e-mails or attachments, and never click on links in emails or SMSs. Criminals make emails and SMSs look legitimate and often bait you with scare tactics to confirm your account details or to login to prevent your account from being closed.
- Criminals may sometimes call you and pretend to be from your bank, service provider, or a reputable retailer. During this conversation they may ask you to verify personal and banking information. It will be safer for you to hang up and call the company directly to verify if the call is legitimate.
- Only make online purchases with your card on reputable websites that are verified as secure sites (look for the lock icon in your browser and ensure that the address starts with https://).
- Never save usernames, passwords, or PINs on your cellphone or computer as it may allow others to access your banking without your permission.
The above is something you need to live by when using the digital space for banking and purchases. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Don’t fall victim to banking fraud!
Article courtesy of FNB