Today online banking has made things much easier for millions of people who wish to make payments, transfer funds and check on their bank balances quickly and easily. Online banking does come with several risks however and these risks, while not overly high, can affect you and your money negatively and so we put together a list of said risks so that you can make sure that when you bank online your money is always secure. Enjoy!
First and foremost you should check your accounts often. Make sure that your transactions get posted, that the amounts match up, and that nothing you did not authorize is listed. It’s easy to do so make a habit of it.
When you get an email from your bank you shouldn’t always be quick to ‘click’ on it. The simple fact is that phishing emails, if clicked, will direct you to a fraudulent website where you will be at risk. Better to log in to your account directly on your bank’s website for safety.
Absolutely never respond to an email that asks you to verify your identity with any personal info. No bank will ever do this.
If you have multiple online accounts you may wish to consider using a different password on each one and by all means change your passwords regularly for safety. Don’t note them in your laptop or tablet that, if stolen, may open you to risk also.
Using wireless access points, like in a McDonald’s restaurant for example, is a risky custom and one that you should avoid. These access points are easy to intercept and anyone trying could get access to your personal banking data.
Protecting your computer from viruses and from being stolen is vitally important as well. A program that will protect you when you’re shopping online is a great idea.
Check to make sure that you are definitely on your bank’s website by looking for the encryption code that is located on their site. The URL should always begin with https and the ‘lock icon’ should be visible.
Finally keep your system up to date whether you’re using a desktop, laptop or tablet to access your banking. Run anti-virus scans regularly and make sure that your computer is as ‘clean’ as possible at all times. Use your virus scanner to run scans too on a regular basis to check for viruses and ‘Trojan horses’ that can steal your valuable and vital banking info.
If you do these things and are always vigilant you should have far fewer problems and expose yourself to far fewer risks when you bank online.
