There are lots of scams out there. Almost every week I receive one or more phishing emails telling me I won something or my account at such-and-such bank has been compromised so just ‘click here’ to update my info. The problem is I usually don’t even have an account at that bank. It is important to be smart online.
Recently I came across some good basic tips for being safe and smart to prevent fraud so I thought I would go ahead and share them here.
· Never give your social security number for identification purposes, and don't give out personal information unless you are legally required to do so.
· Treat your debit cards like cash and ensure a PIN number is required to make a purchase.
· Check your credit card and bank statements regularly.
(I actually check my bank account daily so I will know right away if something is wrong)
(I actually check my bank account daily so I will know right away if something is wrong)
· Obtain an annual credit report. There are several banks and credit card companies that will tell you your credit score, but that is not the same as actually looking at your credit report. A free service to check your credit is creditkarma.com
· If you receive hard copy bills or credit card offers, please remember to shred the documents and sign up for electronic copies to have less of a paper trail where possible. I also take the time to shred all those pesky credit card offers I receive in the mail, I don’t want someone digging those out of the trash and trying to open an account in my name.
· If you receive an unsolicited call from someone asking to confirm information on your completed tax return or your bank account, DO NOT provide personal information. Hang up and call back using the company’s legitimate phone number, not the one you received by the caller. This will help ensure your information only goes to the legitimate company or service. Please note, the IRS will not call you to verify information on your return. Consider using the White Pages’ reverse phone look-up to confirm the identity of a caller, and ensure it’s not a scam or a hoax.
If you have any good tips for preventing fraud please share them in the comments below.
Those are all great tips. I always check my bank statements online and have found fraud or mistakes several times. I hardly ever receive paper anymore. Saves trees.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rebecca - it is always a good idea to check bank statements, it is incredible how scammers keep finding new ways to trick people.
DeleteA huge one here in Canada at tax time is the person calling to tell you that you are going to be arrested if you don't comply with 'Canada Revenue'. They have bilked millions out of people! I've had that call a few times. I can laugh. But the sad thing it it must still be working or they wouldn't keep doing it.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar tax scam here in the U.S. I agree it must be working because they keep doing it. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
DeleteGreat advice. There are so many ways we can be scammed these days. Checking balances and statements regularly is key.
ReplyDeleteSo true - my husband had someone steal his credit card to make hundreds of dollars in iTunes purchases, it took months to get it all sorted out. I am very diligent about checking my accounts, but I didn't check his statements and apparently neither did he. We could have saved a lot of trouble if he had checked regularly but eventually the bank removed all the charges and we learned a good lesson. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteToday, someone I know told me her bank account was hacked. She watches it online and noticed an auto pay had been set up - she doesn't ever use auto pay and immediately went to the bank to talk to them. When she got there she found out the bank was actually cutting a check to the hacker to close out the account! "Would you believe?" And the mother of someone else I know got the "grandma I'm in trouble" scam call from her "grandson" who knew his name and other facts about him (no doubt gleamed from his social media account" Fortunately she figured out it wasn't him. So my only other advice would be "be VERY careful what you post on social media!"
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh - that's awful. You are so right we all need to be careful. Right before the Royal wedding there was a silly "game" going around social media and it was having people identify their grandparents names and the street they grew up on. I was horrified - that is exactly the kind of info these scammers use to hack into accounts. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog.
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