As we’ve seen the world move to an increasingly digital world over the past year, it’s critical to remain vigilant when spending time online. Here are some tips to protect yourself.
Most financial institutions have an alert system you can sign up for that can help protect you against potential fraud on your account. Alerts allow you to receive notifications through email and/or text regarding suspicious banking activity in your account.
Research shows that over 80% of internet users still reuse the same password across multiple websites, including their online banking pins. Create a variety of complex passwords for your online accounts, especially for websites that may contain confidential information.
If you’re unsure of the authenticity of an email, delete it. Financial institutions have clear guidelines about information they request by phone or email and will never send unsolicited emails asking for personal information or online banking credentials. If you’re unsure, visit Canada’s Anti-Fraud Centre to learn about trending scams.
It’s quite common to protect your personal computers at home with anti-virus software, but we tend to forget about our mobile devices. Download a reputable anti-virus software through your respective application store (The App Store or Google Play) to ensure you’re protected.
Kevin Haarhoff is the Senior Investigator of Corporate Security at Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union. March is Fraud Prevention Month. Learn more about how to protect yourself.
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.
