Most of us know that we need to protect our details when it comes to online shopping and electronic banking. We also know that criminal activity increases over the festive period when we’re all rushing to get things done and may overlook certain red flags.
The most popular form of online fraud is phishing scams, where unsolicited emails or notifications will prompt you to enter your personal and or banking details. Although online shopping and banks are taking precautions to combat fraud, consumers are urged to be more vigilant when transacting but in particular when receiving unsolicited emails and notification.
Always remember that Standard Bank will never ask for your PIN, ID number or passwords via email.
How to avoid online fraud
• Never expose your PIN, password and card details.
• Don’t respond to unsolicited emails requesting personal information.
• A secure URL will begin with “https” instead of “http”.
• Beware of very long website addresses as these can indicate that fraudulent links are built into the address.
• Another secure way to pay for your online shopping is MasterPass, which stores all your information in one safe place, allowing you to make convenient, fast and secure digital payments by scanning a QR code at the check-out point of online retailers.
• Use a unique password that is not easy to guess. Avoid using Password123, your date of birth, telephone number or other significant personal dates.
• Many phishing sites resemble genuine website but you can tell the difference by looking out for spelling and grammatical errors.
• Never follow any ‘links’ that you are asked to follow. If an e-mail requests that you follow a link to the website of your bank, ignore the request.
• Always log off a site when you have completed what you need to do.
• Check your bank statements regularly to identify any errors or fraudulent transactions.
• Use Standard Bank’s security features to ensure you have a safe and secure banking experience.
Whether you have a debit, cheque or credit card, a savings account, or are a member of UCount rewards programme, Standard Bank will never request you to divulge pin numbers and passwords.
Always remember to flag any suspicious activity or request immediately.
For more information on how to keep your identity and account safe, visit
www.standardbank.co.za/secure.
