Fraudsters will stop at nothing to get your personal information and card data. Their scams can be clever, but not clever enough, if you know how they work and how to avoid them. Here are a few ways you can prevent fraudsters from getting hold of your information.
Online
From spyware to dodgy merchants, the threat of online fraud is real, but you are the best line of defence. The key to combating online fraud is knowing what threats exist and taking easy steps to beat them.
To prevent online fraud:
- Keep current with your software and virus protection
- Create strong passwords
- Ignore emails from senders you don’t know
- Use your pop-up blocker
- Only Download files from sites you know and trust
- Sign up for email/SMS "transaction alerts" from your bank to keep track of your purchases
- Make sure your bank has your updated contact details
Mobile
Mobile technology is everywhere. It is changing how we communicate, how we do business, and how we access our personal and professional lives. But we need to remind ourselves to stay safe when using our mobiles:
- Protect the devices you use both physically and with passwords/PIN codes
- Sensitive account information should never be stored on your mobile device
- Be aware of your surroundings—don't loudly read your details in a public environment
Travel
Don’t let fraud ruin the trip of a lifetime. Take these few easy measures before you leave.
Travel smart, travel safe:
- Tell your card issuer where you’re headed and for how long
- Note card numbers, balances, and issuer phone numbers and keep them in a safe place
- Save and check all receipts against your statement
- Don’t leave cards unattended
Retail and ATM
Accepted across the world, more convenient and safer than cash, digital payments have transformed how we shop and bank. Visa’s investment in Chip and PIN technology has had a significant impact on securing the face-to-face environment and in reducing counterfeit fraud. But fraudsters may still try to steal your card information and use it for unauthorised charges. To help stop retail and ATM fraud, remember:
- Review receipts before you sign
- Monitor you monthly statements
- Sign up for email/SMS "transaction alerts" from your bank
- Keep copies of ATM and sales receipts for your records
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Guard your PIN from fraudster “shoulder surfing”
- Report missing cards immediately
- Use the Visa ATM locator to identify ATMs that are chip-enabled
Email phishing scams try to trick you into revealing credit card numbers, PIN numbers, bank account passwords or other private information. Most phishing starts as an email that links to a fake Internet site that looks like the real thing with familiar logos and graphics, but it is not. When you enter personal information on such sites, it gets sent to fraudsters.
To fight phishing:
- Consider all email requests for personal information to be suspicious
- Remember that Visa never calls or writes cardholders for personal account information
- Do not respond to such emails or enter information on questionable websites
- Check the legitimacy of the enquiry by contacting the number on the back of your card
- Report suspicious emails claiming to be from Visa to [email protected]
Identity Theft
If thieves obtain your driver’s license or other important personal information, they can pretend to be you and potentially open bank accounts, order credit cards, write bad cheques, and obtain loans. Identity thieves use a variety of tactics, even going through your rubbish for personal information. To help stop identity theft:
- Monitor card and account statements frequently
- Report missing cards immediately
- Cancel all inactive accounts
- Do not volunteer any personal information unless necessary
- Sign new cards upon receipt
- Shred sensitive documents before disposing of them
- Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software
- Change passwords regularly
At Home
Did you know that half of all identity theft is committed by individuals with legitimate access to your home such as live-in caregivers, relatives, or renovation crews? Home is a safe place, and here are a few tips to help keep it that way.
- Monitor your accounts often
- Check your credit report to make sure it’s correct
- If available, sign up for email/SMS "transaction alerts" from your bank
- Store important documents securely
Mail and Phone
Fraudsters can send official-looking letters or pose as representatives from Visa, financial institutions or even charities. If asked to provide your account number or other personal information in the mail or by phone, be wary of fraud.
A few tips can help you beat phone fraud:
- Visa never calls or writes cardholders for personal account information
- Never provide information unless you initiated the communication
- Don’t feel obligated to provide card numbers by phone
- Get details—If the caller can’t answer your questions, it’s not legitimate
- Rather than asking for a “call back number,” research the caller on your own along with their legitimate phone number
- Report requests for personal information to your card issuer by calling the number on the back of your card
You can combat fraud by mail, too:
- Beware of notices announcing that you’ve won a prize for a contest you did not enter
- Notify your post office if you change address
- Make sure your mailbox is secure
- Collect your delivered mail; don’t let it sit in the mailbox too long
- Have your mail held when on holiday