The rate of Global Fraud and theft is on the increase, financial sector are not left out from hacking and fraud as they continue to provide security measure in protecting bank account holders
Internet scammers and fraudsters on the increase, and they are constantly devising new sophisticated methods to steal bank customer money due to alarming rate of cybercrime activities all over the world.
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Please remember you worked hard for your money that is with you bank as deposit and the economic situation in the country at the moment is hard. Therefore it would be a shame to have your money stolen just because you were careless for a moment. This is why you must do everything possible to protect your bank accounts.
Safeguard Your Account
Banks has continuously to developed and implement security enhancements to ensure the integrity of their Online Banking platform, Mobile baking and ussd code for transaction are seamless, fast and secure to protect online safety, the confidentiality of your account and personal data.
Nobody knows your account better than you. That’s why you should never share your card details, internet banking log in and token with anyone over the phone, SMS or email.
How to prevent yourself from scammers, hacker and fraudulent e-mails and Web sites.
1. If you want to avoid fraud on your bank account don’t give out your Internet Banking login, card details, PIN and codes or token device to any person either on phone call or email.
2.To avoid hacker take advantage of your bank account or ATM card, avoid clicking on phishing link sent to you either on mailbox or phone. Also Hackers are Creating Phishing Pages on Social Media using phishing link generator.
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2. Never put your ATM card on bookmarking website known as betting website that not the real site. a friend was defraud with this method when he input his card on one Nigeria popular betting site that was sent to him as Phishing link
3. Keep your ATM cards safe and do not share your personal identity number (PIN) with anyone. Do not keep any written copy of your PIN with your card. Memorize it.
4.Avoid downloading Fake Apps, make sure you make use of your bank real app. malware author creates a perfect replica of a bank’s app and uploads it to shady third-party sites. Once you’ve downloaded the bad app, you enter your username and password into it, which is then sent to the hacker.
5. Use stong password and username to keep your online, mobile banking safe. Also don’t use your date of birth as your ussd code password to avoid scam.Change them often.
6. Check your bank account statements and card transactions regularly to make sure these only reflect transactions you have made. If you see a transaction you cannot explain, report it to the bank.
7.Subscribe to SMS and Email alerts to be delivered to your cell phone or email, so you can stay updated on your account activity.
8. Always log on to your internet banking service via your bank website url
9. Use your hand or body to shield your PIN when you are conducting transactions at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or when making Point of Sale (POS) transactions at retail stores.
10. Seeing a phone number or email address you recognize does not mean it is genuine. Always give cold-callers a cold reception
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11. Do not perform sensitive financial transactions using public wifi or networks you do not know the source. Do not let your love for free things expose you to risks!
12. Update your security software by installing the latest updates of your operating system and mobile banking app.
13. SIM Swapping: SMS authentication codes are some of the biggest problems for hackers though they can contacts your network provider, claiming to be you. They state that they lost their phone, and that they’d like a transfer of their old number (which is your current number) to their SIM card.
To avoid this always keep your personal details private to avoid someone stealing your identity. Also, it’s worth checking if your mobile provider is doing their part to defend you from SIM swapping.
14. Pharming: This Occurs when you enter a Web address but are redirected, without your consent or knowledge, to a fraudulent site that looks similar to a legitimate site. The intent of the fraudulent site is to capture confidential information.
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Conclusion.
You are the first and best layer of defense in combating online fraud. Learning to properly detect and avoid online scams is the ultimate protection against fraud.
You will never be contacted directly by your bank or third party companies like MasterCard or Visa to verify personal or card information, your PIN or to request that you transfer funds or process transactions to protect your account.