Your Role in Cybersecurity: Help Us Keep Your Money Safe
We all continue to be at risk from identity theft and cyberscams, particularly as technology advances. Although banks have strong security protocols in place to safeguard customers' funds, it is imperative that customers take all reasonable precautions to avoid falling victim.
The following list of five easy-to-implement tactics may help reduce your risk of falling victim to identity theft or other online frauds when paired with security measures like those BANK employs.
- Create a strong first line of defense — Creating strong passwords that combine capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters to form a formidable first line of defense is the first step towards safeguarding your financial information. You will have an additional degree of security if you use multifactor authentication.
- Keep track of your finances — It's crucial to monitor your bank accounts often to make sure no unusual activity has occurred. Notify your banking institution as soon as you see anything unusual so they can assist you in resolving the situation.
- Don’t share your information — Personal information must remain private. Use caution while disclosing this information to others. Don't forget to discard bank statements and other documents containing personal data appropriately. One practical tool that might lower your chance of falling victim to identity theft is a compact document shredder.
- Know how to spot phishing scams — Phishing techniques are used by cybercriminals to try to fool you into divulging personal information, such as passwords and usernames. Never download attachments from unidentified sources, and never click on links in emails or texts. If the message asks for sensitive information, you should get in touch with the company directly to confirm its legitimacy if you are not sure if the message you received is authentic.
- Check your credit report annually — By contacting 877-322-8228 or visiting AnnualCreditReport.com, you may obtain your free credit report. Every year, review your report for problems and take the necessary action to correct any that you identify.
It may seem difficult to prevent identity theft and cyberscams, but by being diligent, you may greatly lower your risk. Remain alert and keep in mind that the best defense against identity theft is prevention.
