Do Three Things Today to Prevent Fraud
At a speaking event this past weekend, we examined the latest news and current trends regarding fraud prevention. As North Americans, if we haven’t been subject to fraud ourselves, we probably know someone who has. We aren’t suggesting you worry so much it gets in the way of you life – on the contrary. Being a smart cookie means looking for little ways to better protect yourself and your finances while living the life you want. We have outlined three things you can do today to lower your risk so you can continue living your fabulous life!
1.) Cut out Paper Bills. If you have a computer and use online banking already – why are you still getting paper statements? The postal system is a major target for fraudsters yet a lot of us aren’t making real use of the constant stream of bills, statements and receipts we get through the mail. If this is the case – contact your bank, and anywhere else you get a paper bill from, and opt out of paper bills. You might want to set up email reminders to remind you when certain bills are due. You’ll be preventing fraud and saving trees!
2.) Use Bank ATMs Only. Debit card fraud is as common these days as credit card fraud, and sometimes trickier to recover from. Debit fraudsters have been known to alter ATM machines, placing ‘skimming’ devices on them that will copy your information. Our tip is to avoid machines that look like they have been tampered with. We go so far as avoiding most ATM’s, except ones at an actual bank – these machines are under tighter surveillance and less risky.
3.) Have Smart Passwords. You’ve probably heard this before but have you acted on it yet? Your password for you debit card, Internet banking, email and social media pages should never be the same. Social media sites are easy to hack into and, if your passwords are the same, your information can be easily applied to your online banking information. Choose different passwords, and make them obscure. Refrain from using a birthday or an address, which are easy to figure out. We also throw at least one number or punctuation mark into a password – making it super secure.
