It’s an unfortunate reality that there are many people that will attempt to hack into your financial accounts or try to steal your personal identity information. In fact, in 2021, the Federal Trade Commission received 2.8 million fraud reports from consumers. That was a whopping 70% more than the previous year! The most common fraudulent activity came from online shopping scams and imposter scams.

Below are some tips on how you can protect your information and money:

• Never disclose passwords, personal identification numbers or other account information over the phone or email. Most reputable companies will not ask for that information over the phone.
• Frequently review bank statements to make sure there aren’t any unfamiliar transactions.
• Invest in a paper shredder to shred receipts, credit card statements, and anything else that may have personal financial information on it. It may sound alarming, but some criminals will go through garbage to find personal information they can use to hack into your accounts.
• Beware of advertising scams. Only use reputable ecommerce sites and be suspicious of websites that do not have a verified street address. Always do your research!
• Make sure to carry only the credit cards you need. Store others in a safe place at home. And never leave your credit cards in your vehicle overnight.
• Keep your PINs and passwords in a safe place. Do not carry them in your wallet or have them on your desktop. Make an effort to frequently change your passwords.
• Do not use coffee shops or other public spaces to shop online. Public WiFi isn’t secure, and the risk of being hacked is much greater when multiple people are connected to the same WiFi. Remember you never know who is watching.

Act quickly if you believe you’ve fallen victim to a scam or there’s been fraudulent activity in your accounts. Contact your financial institution to find out how they can help prevent any further damage to your account.

Waypoint Bank strives to be an exceptional provider of superior financial solutions that promote the small-town approach of putting the customer first while earning their trust in the most friendly and professional manner possible. Stop by your local Waypoint Bank today or contact us online.