Protect the contents of your bank account by practising safe banking.
Follow these tips given by Zane Renou, Chief Commercial Officer at Cellfind.
PINs and passwords
- Your password should be complex and difficult for others to guess.
- Use letters, numbers and special characters in your passwords.
- Don’t choose a predictable number such as 0000 or 1234.
- Memorise your log-in details (username and password and don’t write them down as this increases the risk of someone getting into your bank account.)
- Never keep a written record of your passwords or PINs in your wallet along with your cards.
- Always cover the keypad when typing your PIN at an ATM or point of sale machine, and never share it with anyone.
- Try not to use the same PINs for all your cards.
Report lost or stolen cards
- As soon as you realise one of your cards is missing or your wallet has been stolen, immediately report it to the bank and cancel it.
- If you’re really fast, you might even be able to prevent the thief from transacting with it at all.
- Save your bank’s emergency number on your phone or keep it close at hand, you never know what might happen.
Treat your cards like cash
- Don’t leave your cards in your car’s glove compartment – a high percentage of card thefts are from car glove compartments.
- Your card is a way for thieves to get their hands on the contents of your bank account so treat it as carefully as you would a stack of cash.
- Keep an eye on your card at all times when making a payment and double-check that you receive your own card back.
Use SMS notifications and statements to stay one step ahead
- Check your account statements regularly so that you can discuss any suspicious transactions with your bank.
- Subscribe to your bank’s SMS notification service, this way you will be alerted about every transaction taking place in your account.
Treat personal identifiable data like classified information
- Be extremely careful with handing out personal information.
- For identity thieves, a few snippets of information such as your address, bank account or card number, ID number and full name, are all they need to “become you”.
- They’ll use this information to impersonate you so they can borrow money in your name or access your accounts.
- Be careful of who you give copies of documents containing personal information such as municipal bills, ID documents, passports or payslips, to.
Beware of scam phone calls and emails
- Your bank will never phone or email you to ask for personal information.
- Never provide your online banking password or your credit card number in this manner.
- Hang up if someone calls you asking for this information.
- Never click on links on an email asking for this information.
Accessing Internet or Mobile Banking
- Ensure you access Internet and Mobile Banking only through your own or trusted devices.
- Avoid using PCs or devices that could be exposed to fraudsters and viruses.
- Also ensure you install a reputable anti-virus software package on your PCs and devices to manage risks.
