Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Having your identity stolen or your bank account hacked is a nightmare for many. But how much do you know about cybersecurity, and what you can be doing to protect yourself? To help, First Bank & Trust Company offers the following rundown of the most common cyber hacks, and how to stay safe.Email fraud. If it seems too good to be true, it is probably fraud. Don't believe that lottery awards staff or princes from a foreign country will contact you by email!
Fraudulent payments. Be on guard against fraudulent checks, cashier's checks, money orders or electronic fund transfers sent with a request for you to wire back part of the money.
Unsolicited offers. Be wary of unsolicited offers that require you to "ACT FAST."
Stay up-to-date. Make sure your device is up-to-date with the latest security updates for your operating system – Windows, Apple IOS, mobile phone IOS (Apple, Android, etc.).
Warnings and errors. Do not trust websites with certificate warnings or errors.
Beware of email attachments. It's never a good idea to click on an email attachment or free software from unknown sources. You could end up exposing your system to online fraud and theft.
Sharing online. Watch how much you share online. The more you post about yourself on social networking sites, the easier it may be for someone to use that information to access your accounts, steal your identity and more. Protect your personal information by maximizing your privacy settings.
Financial scams. Be aware of disaster-related financial scams. Con artists take advantage of people after catastrophic events by claiming to be from legitimate charitable organizations when, in fact, they are attempting to steal money or valuable personal information.
Consumers are encouraged to report any suspected fraud to their banks immediately.
Source: First Bank & Trust Company
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