As the festive season draws near, consumers must familiarise themselves with tips on how they can protect themselves against digital banking fraud, says KOVELIN NAIDOO, Chief Cyber Security Officer at FNB.
Here are some tips to stay safe this year.
- Never save usernames, passwords or PINs on your cellphone or computer as it may allow others to access your banking 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 Cafe’s or shared computers, as you can never know what software is loaded that may compromise your transactions.
- Log on to your bank’s website by typing in the web address yourself instead of accessing it via Google search as this may lead you to a spoofed site.
- Never open suspicious or unfamiliar e-mails or attachments, and never click on links in emails or SMS’s. Criminals make emails and SMS 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 FNB App, Online banking or at your nearest ATM or branch.
- Remember to change your passwords and PIN’s 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 the FNB App to keep track of your accounts and transactions and have additional security with you 24/7. From a security point of view you can approve legitimate transactions and stop fraudulent Online Banking transactions, report fraud for any suspicious transactions, and temporarily block or cancel your cards.
- Download free Trend Antivirus and Antimalware for your computer and/or smartphone. Login to FNB Online Banking and click the link at the bottom of the screen to download and activate your free antivirus and antimalware.
- 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. Immediately contact FNB’s 24/7 Fraud Line on 087 575 9444 to report a suspected Sim Swop.
- 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.
- FNB customers travelling are advised to download the FNB Banking App and use Smart InContact to approve transactions.
Smart InContact, which allows customers to receive secure Online Banking transaction approvals on the FNB Banking App does not rely on SMS or email technology which could be intercepted by fraudsters. Smart inContact also notifies customers of all transactions, as low as one cent, with full control to report fraud with 1-touch of the Report Fraud button to the 24/7 FNB Fraud line. The app also works with Online Banking to verify devices that the customer uses to transact on his/her profile. Only verified devices with the app installed receive Smart inContact transaction approvals.
Taking the necessary measures to protect yourself against online banking fraud can give you peace of mind knowing that you can have a stress free festive season with your loved ones.
