How to protect your financial identity
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You can continue transacting safely online by making your computer as secure as possible and following these simple guidelines:
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Avoid non-secure sites
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Always log out of internet banking correctly
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Check your credit report
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Check your e-statements
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Disable pop ups to avoid spy ware and identity theft
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Don’t reveal too much about yourself on social networking sites
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Only use secure email
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Keep a separate email address for your billing organisations
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Avoid phishing scams
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Dispose of personal information securely
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Keep records
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| If you are asked for personal information, check whether the website is secure by checking that the details in the address bar of the browser start with ‘https’ (the ‘s’ stands for secure). Scammers and hackers prefer to target non-secure sites as it makes their job easier.
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| Always log out of internet banking correctly
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| Always click the ‘logout’ button when banking online and close the browser. Never transact or do your online banking at a public computer because even if you are logged out, your personal details are stored in the computer which scammers may be able to access.
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| | Check your credit report at least once a year. If you see any enquiries or activities that you know you did not do, contact both the credit agency and the relevant institution ASAP. People can use your name to run up debts.
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| | Thoroughly check your e-statements and bills- this will help you detect any suspicious activity early.
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| Disable pop ups to avoid spy ware and identity theft
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| Disable pop-ups in your browser. Clicking on pop-up messages may allow others to download and install a program on your computer aimed at spying or identity theft.
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| Don’t reveal too much about yourself on social networking sites
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| Think carefully about the information you make available about yourself on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Fraudsters may be able to obtain enough information about you to pass themselves off as you.
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| | Don’t send your financial or personal information to anyone via non-secure email. Easy Street recommends the use of our secure mail service available via internet banking when contacting us via email regarding any personal details or account information. When in internet banking, simply click ‘Other’ from the top menu, followed by ‘Secure mail’.
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| Keep a separate email address for your billing organisations
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| Set up a separate e-mail address for shopping and newsgroups. This way your email address will be kept separate from your primary email address which you may use to communicate with billing institutions.
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| | Always visit the website of an organisation by typing the web address in your browser. Scammers will often send emails inviting you to click on a link. Sometimes these may be phishing scams that target your personal information by taking you to a fraudulent website that looks genuine.
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| Dispose of personal information securely
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| Don’t just throw out personal information- shred, cut and burn it to destroy evidence of all your personal details. Your personal information can still be accessed via the garbage.
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| | Keep a record of what information you've given to whom. If you ever come across any suspicious activity, you will have a better chance of finding the source.
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