PROTECT YOUR DIGITAL DATA SECURITY
Last week the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published tips intended to assist consumers protect themselves from fraud and help them in the event they encounter a problem.
"Phishing" is the activity of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company by criminals.
Almost anyone who uses credit or debit cards has the threat of their credit or personal data being compromised. A number of major companies over the recent months have reported breaches of data security. Target, a national retailer, experienced a recent breach of data that could impact tens of millions of consumers, protect yourself!
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends these four steps:
1). Checking your accounts regularly. Review accounts online frequently and examine monthly printed statements. Thieves “test” accounts by making small debits or charges (i.e.: new account purchase for $ 1.99); so watch for these and report them. Problems occur after months of an actual data breach. Consider changing pin numbers occasionally.
2). Alert the bank or bankcard provider immediately if fraud is suspected. Under Federal Law, the consumer is not generally responsible for unauthorized debits and charges if they are reported quickly.
3). Submit a complaint if you have an issue with your bank or card provider’s response. Debit cards issuers should investigate within 10 days of the charges and credit cards may take longer but you do not have to pay the charge while it’s under investigation.
4). Know when to ignore anyone contacting you to “verify” your account information by phone or email. This is a common fraud, done by phishing con artists to steal your information. BE ALERT! Banks and credit card companies will not request this information.
Waterfront Properties and Club Communities does not request or solicit personal banking or bankcard information for our website portal.
Leave A Comment