1. Protect your password and PIN at all times. Memorize them. Do not write them down, place them in your wallet or save them in your mobile phones. Do not use familiar words or dates like your name or your birthday. Use wild characters or combine upper and lowers cases of letters. You have to protect yourself from thieves at all cost.
2. Make online banking transactions from a secure computer or mobile phone only. Always keep your security protection software updated. Make sure that the bank’s URL is encrypted. (Oftentimes, a key or small lock icon appears on the browser window to indicate that the information is encrypted.) Banks use a secure method to solicit your personal information so never provide your information through the phone or email.
3. Be sure that you are transacting on the legitimate website of the bank. Thieves can attract their victims through a website that looks like the authentic one. Some of the information that indicated legitimacy of the website are the address of the bank’s headquarters and the FDIC coverage. Furthermore, always check that you have typed the correct URL. Thieves intentionally set up a website with misspelled URLs to fraudulently gather information.
4. Take extra caution when making transactions in public places. Convenience has a price. When the alert is received while in a public place, you may transact with your bank using your mobile device. But you have to be very cautious. Be aware of your surroundings. Thieves may be around waiting for you to drop your guard and look at your screen to gather your information.
5. Be aware of your rights. Take advantage of your account’s fraud protection. Never mind the small fee that the bank would charge you for a secured online banking. Know how you can complain when you suspect a fraud. Memorize the hotline number of the bank’s fraud department.