Seven steps for safe banking

Protect the contents of your bank account by practising safe banking.

Follow these tips given by Zane Renou, Chief Commercial Officer at Cellfind.

PINs and passwords

• Your password should be complex and difficult for others to guess.
• Use letters, numbers and special characters in your passwords.
• Don’t choose a predictable number such as 0000 or 1234.
• Memorise your log-in details (username and password and don’t write them down as this increases the risk of someone getting into your bank account.)
• Never keep a written record of your passwords or PINs in your wallet along with your cards.
• Always cover the keypad when typing your PIN at an ATM or point of sale machine, and never share it with anyone.
• Try not to use the same PINs for all your cards.

Report lost or stolen cards

• As soon as you realise one of your cards is missing or your wallet has been stolen, immediately report it to the bank and cancel it.
• If you’re really fast, you might even be able to prevent the thief from transacting with it at all.
• Save your bank’s emergency number on your phone or keep it close at hand, you never know what might happen.

Treat your cards like cash

• Don’t leave your cards in your car’s glove compartment – a high percentage of card thefts are from car glove compartments.
• Your card is a way for thieves to get their hands on the contents of your bank account so treat it as carefully as you would a stack of cash.
• Keep an eye on your card at all times when making a payment and double-check that you receive your own card back.

Use SMS notifications and statements to stay one step ahead

• Check your account statements regularly so that you can discuss any suspicious transactions with your bank.
• Subscribe to your bank’s SMS notification service, this way you will be alerted about every transaction taking place in your account.

Treat personal identifiable data like classified information

• Be extremely careful with handing out personal information.
• For identity thieves, a few snippets of information such as your address, bank account or card number, ID number and full name, are all they need to “become you”.
• They’ll use this information to impersonate you so they can borrow money in your name or access your accounts.
• Be careful of who you give copies of documents containing personal information such as municipal bills, ID documents, passports or payslips, to.

Beware of scam phone calls and emails

• Your bank will never phone or email you to ask for personal information.
• Never provide your online banking password or your credit card number in this manner.
• Hang up if someone calls you asking for this information.
• Never click on links on an email asking for this information.

Accessing Internet or Mobile Banking

• Ensure you access Internet and Mobile Banking only through your own or trusted devices.
• Avoid using PCs or devices that could be exposed to fraudsters and viruses.
• Also ensure you install a reputable anti-virus software package on your PCs and devices to manage risks.