Banking safety tips for festive season-FNB
The golden rule when it comes to transacting safely, whether online, in store or at an ATM is to keep your PIN safe and private at all times.
As the holiday season creeps closer, FNB is urging customers to take extra care with protecting their personal banking information, handbags and wallets so as to avoid falling victim to fraud.
Whilst many South Africans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to relax and unwind, fraudsters and criminals are sharpening up on their skills to get information that will allow them access to personal banking details and funds.
“The golden rule when it comes to transacting safely, whether online, in store or at an ATM is to keep your PIN safe and private at all times,” says Henk Vermeulen, Fraud Specialist at FNB Credit Card.
According to research done by FNB and VISA in 2013, 1 in 5 people believe that it is not necessary to cover the PIN pad when keying in their PIN at an ATM or point of sale device. This is a contributing factor to the increase in counterfeit card fraud losses affecting all card issuers during 2013.
The combination of crowded stores and many distractions make the job of fraudsters that much easier. Shoulder surfing (when a person looks over your shoulder to see what PIN you are keying in) becomes almost unnoticeable in busy malls and a small bump in a shopping mall corridor or at a flea market might seem harmless until you realise your purse has been stolen. If personal banking PINs and usernames are stored on your phone or written on paper and kept it in your handbag or wallet, a stolen handbag, wallet or phone could mean that money disappears from your account before you are aware that your belongings are no longer in your possession.
