Every time you read the news, it seems there is always a story about a cyberbreach. As a consumer, how can you protect yourself, your identity, and your finances? In light of Fraud Awareness Month, we recommend reviewing these tips to keep your finances and identity safe in today’s digital world:
1. Check on your credit card and bank statements. Every month, look over your bank and credit card statements, whether you do so on paper or electronically, and make sure everything looks correct and valid.
2. Allow credit card charge notifications to go to your phone. Getting these notifications in real time can give you direct information about all the activity on your cards, allowing you to catch issues at their start.
3. Set up email notifications for card activity while travelling. If you do not have a roaming package for your cellular data, look into setting up email notifications to report all of your card activity. This way, you can easily check on your cards when connected to Wi-Fi.
4. Consider adding identity theft insurance to your home insurance coverage.
5. Learn about identifying phishing scams. These include phone call scams, text message scams, and email scams. Be wary if a phone call, email, or physical letter:
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- Asks for your Social Insurance Number when not absolutely necessary
- Has grammatical errors or awkward language
- Relies on fear tactics or threatens legal action
- Uses an email address or line not associated with the company
Threats to your finances and identity are real – follow these tips and always be diligent about protecting your information.