June is Internet Safety Month and online financial scams are on the rise. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself and keep your accounts safe:

• Store your personal documents in a secure location: This includes, but is not limited to, birth certificate, social security card, passport, bank statements, old credit cards, etc.
• Never provide passwords or pin numbers over the phone, text, or email. Financial institutions will NOT ask for these numbers EVER. If someone is saying they are calling from the bank and asking for that information, they are scammers. Simply hang up, and call your local Waypoint Bank branch to let them know.
• Keep your contact information up to date. In your app or when you log in online to your online banking portal, make sure your personal information is up to date so we can get a hold of you in the event of unusual activity.
• Go paperless with Waypoint Bank. Sign up for online banking and select ‘go paperless’. This way no one can steal your personal documents in the mail.
• Clip or shred old cards. Once you get your new card, properly dispose of your old ones so no one can gain access to your accounts.
• Check your online accounts about once a week to make sure there are no unauthorized charges. If you spot one, reach out to us at 833-541-0854.
• Choose “strong” user IDs and passwords that will be easy for you to remember but hard for hackers to guess. The strongest ones have a combination of letters, numbers and other characters, and are at least 10 characters long. For your online banking, choose IDs and passwords that are not the same as those you use for emails or social networking sites, just in case they get into the wrong hands. Also change your online banking password about every 90 days

Waypoint Bank is dedicated to keeping you and your money safe. Reach out to your local branch today for more information.