Bank Safety 202 – Stay More Alert than the Aggravating New Hacker Tricks

Yup, you thought this was a health blog, and it is, but I’m sharing this because it stressed me out (which impacts health).

The other day a friend of mine received a call from a number identified as her specific bank.
They told her they suspected fraud from a transaction 2,000 miles away from her city.
They asked a few questions which she gladly answered.
A short time after that, she discovered that whole phone call was a scam. The scammer had managed to label their phone number with the name of her bank.

Thousands of dollars later, she managed to straighten it out.
Yikes.

So we need to remember: even if it is the bank calling us, we should hang up right away and call the number that we have for our bank.

Thank goodness our bank alerts us when fraud pops up on our credit or debit card. But usually when the real bank calls, it’s a robot asking us to call the bank’s fraud investigation department.

A few more bank safety tips:

• Never click on a banking email. Instead, type the bank’s web address into the URL bar yourself.
• Never access your bank account using public Wi-Fi. (Your own cell phone’s data connection is safer. The hackers haven’t figured out that one yet.)
• If you do online banking, be sure to keep your computer updated.
• Use two-factor authentication – let your bank text you a confirmation code.
• Use a long phrase as a password.
• Change passwords often.
• Check your account balances regularly for suspicious activity. If so, change your password immediately and contact your bank.

The Fountain Hills library is hosting a presentation on “Consumer Scams – Don’t Become a Victim” this Tuesday March 7, 2023 at 10 AM (see the calendar and click on link).

Have you been scammed? Feel free to comment and ventilate.

Here’s to your good health and wealth!

(Thanks to Wikimedia Commons for this image.)