Blog written 10/05/2023
How to stay safe online. With fraud being at an all-time high, it’s important to know how to protect yourself, and what to do if you have been a victim.
How to stay safe online: Here are some simple ways you can help to protect yourself from fraud:
1) Never give your password or PIN number to anyone!
2) Make sure your passwords are strong by using special characters and a good mix of upper & lower case letters and numbers.
3) Make sure your smart phone, tablet, laptop & PC have the latest software installed.
4) Never click a link in an email or text unless you are expecting it and believe it to be genuine.
5) Where possible use two factor authentication such as Google Authenticator.
6) Check your credit file weekly to see if there are any accounts or activity that you do not recognise. Make sure you check the previous searches section.
7) Shred receipts that have your card details on and shred ALL post that contains your name & address.
8) If you receive an unexpected call, do not give any personal information until you have verified their identity. You could offer to call them back but ensure you call them back on their published number and NOT the number they called you from.
9) If affordable, use an anti-virus software on all devices.
10) Have an awareness of fraud and be vigilant.
If fraud has been attempted, please ensure that you report it to the institution that has been impersonated. For example, if you receive a call from someone pretending to be your bank, make sure you inform your bank. Banks have internal fraud teams, and they may or may not be aware of it. Don’t leave it to another victim to report!
If you have been a victim of any type of fraud, please ensure that you report it to Action Fraud so they can investigate and try to prevent it happening to others.
The information contained within this blog was correct at the time of publication (10/05/2023), and is subject to change.
