The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) gave out 10 tips to avoid losing your hard-earned money to cyber criminals who steal your account numbers and passwords.
"All the cyber-criminal has to do is gain access to easily found information like your high school, your mother’s maiden name or your pet’s name, and he or she can easily hack into your account," the NBI Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division (AFCCD) said.
Hacking of accounts, however, is only a small portion of identity theft; the most part is caused by careless handling of data, usually on the part of the owner of the bank account.
Also, one does not have to be a computer expert to avoid falling victim to hackers. Simply observing good old fashioned security measures will do.
The most sensible tip is to watch over your sholders when entering a PIN (personal identification number) or credit card number in an automated teller machine, at a phone booth, or even on a computer at work as a hacker might actually be snooping nearby.
"Be aware of who is nearby and make sure nobody is peering over your shoulder to make a note of the keys you’re pressing," the NBI said.
A second tip is to require photo ID verification, instead of signing the backs of credit cards, since many store clerks do not even look at the signature block on the credit card.
This way, the NBI said, a thief could just as easily use the credit card to make online or telephone purchases that do not require signature verification.
Other tips include:
• Shredding everything before throwing them into the trash can,where "dumpster-divers" can scan old credit card or ATM receipts, medical statements or even junk-mail solicitations for credit cards and mortgages that may contain valuable personal data.
• Destroying digital data when throwing away a computer system, a hard drive or even a recordable CD, DVD or backup tape. There are shredders for such gadgets.
• Practicing diligence in checking statements, to make sure charges and purchases are legitimate and so suspicious activities can be investigated.
• Paying bills at the post office instead of leaving them in the mailbox to be sent out. Thieves can raid the mailbox for information.
• Limiting information on checks to prevent thieves from learning more about the victim.
• Analyzing credit reports annually, to make sure there is no suspicious entry or activity in one’s credit account.
• Protecting one’s social security number, lest a thief assume one’s identity. The NBI recommends that the social security number not be used as part of a password, and that it not be divulged to telephone solicitors.
• Being wary of doing business online with companies one does not know anything about. At the very least, make sure the company’s website is secure by looking for a padlock icon in the browser window.
