Ten tips for keeping your bank information safe
With the rise of new hacking technology and savvier identity thieves, more people are becoming victims of bank and credit card fraud. The Federal Trade Commission, a government entity tasked with consumer protection, has tips on their website for people to keep personal banking information safe from hackers.
– Don’t give your account number out over the phone unless you made the call to a reputable company you know. If you’ve never done business with a company before, do an online search for reviews and complaints.
– Carry your cards separate from your wallet and only carry the cards you need for the day. If someone steals your wallet or purse, it minimizes the impact of the loss of card information.
– Keep your eyes on your card during any transaction. Make sure you have it back before you leave.
– Never sign a blank receipt, and draw a line through any blank spaces above the total.
– Compare your banking statements with your receipts.
– Check your bills often, either online or by opening bills as soon as you get them, and double check the purchases you’ve recently made.
– Report any strange charges to the bank or the card issuer.
– Let your bank or card issuer know if you will be traveling or are moving.
– Don’t write your account number on receipts, scrap paper or the outside of an envelope.
– Call your bank or card issuer as soon as you realize a card has been lost or stolen. There are toll-free numbers for most companies to deal with this.
– After you report the lost or stolen card, the law says you don’t have responsibility for the charges you didn’t make after $50 has been spent. If you think the card was used fraudulently, you may have to sign a statement under oath saying you didn’t make the purchases.
