WITH the festive season in full swing, FNB urges consumers to familiarise themselves with tips on how they can protect themselves against digital banking fraud, says Kovelin Naidoo, Chief Cyber Security Officer at FNB:
- Never save usernames, passwords or PINs on your cellphone or computer as it may allow others to access your banking without your permission.
- 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.
- 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.
- Never open suspicious or unfamiliar e-mails or attachments, and never click on links in emails or SMSes. Criminals make emails and SMS look legitimate and often bait you with scare tactics to confirm your account details or to login to prevent your account from being closed. They even incentive you to win something or get something for free in order to get access to your account.
- Always keep your PIN and password secure. If you think your PIN or password has been compromised, change it immediately, online or at your nearest ATM or branch.
- Remember to change your passwords and PIN’s regularly.
- 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://).
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- 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.
- Download free antivirus software 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. Contact your bank immediately.
- 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 or download software for them to “assist” you. It will be safer for you to hang up and call the company directly to verify if the call is legitimate.
- If you are travelling you are advised to us your bank’s app for additional safety.
Taking the necessary measures to protect yourself against online banking fraud can give you peace of mind knowing that you can have a stress free festive season with your loved ones.
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