As the festive season draws near, FNB urges consumers to familiarise themselves with tips on how they can protect themselves against digital banking fraud:
• Never save user names, passwords or PINs on your cellphone or computer as it may allow others to access your bank accounts 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 cafes or on shared computers, as you do not know if it has software that may compromise your transactions.
• Log on to your bank’s website by typing in the web address yourself, instead of accessing it via a Google search as this may lead you to a spoofed site.
• Never open suspicious or unfamiliar emails or attachments, and never click on links in emails or SMSes. Criminals make emails and SMSes 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 – either on the bank app, online banking or at your nearest ATM or branch.
• Remember to change your passwords and PINs 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://).
• Never use the same username and password for banking as you use on other apps and websites like social media and email.
• 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.
• 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.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za  (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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