There have been numerous assertions over the years from various people and organizations that online banking is or isn't safe. An extremely recent report from the U.K. adds credence to the theory that online banking is not safe.
According to the report from Computeractive news, online banking in the U.K. rose 14% in 2009. In fact, it was the only type of criminal fraud activity that increased-all other criminal fraud activity in the U.K. decreased that year.
Online banking is said to have increased in the U.K. for several reasons including increased phishing attacks, fraud from lost or stolen I.D. cards, and telephone fraud where the customer is tricked into giving away security details and the thief thief then goes online and helps himself to their funds
However, it is the sale of the banking fraud kit which is really making banking online a risky business. These kits can be had for a few thousand pounds. What they do is infect computers with a virus which steals all internet activity and records everything someone does on the internet, including the passwords someone may put enter into their online banking site. Thus, the thief obtains the passwords and the bank account information and goes back to the bank site and wipes out the account.
You may think, oh, that's in the U.K. That won't happen where I live. Well, I don't know where you live. But it has already been happening in the United States. Just ask Joe Lopez about the time he checked his Bank of America account only to discover $90,000 was missing. A malicious virus had infected his computer and stolen his private information. Or ask Mia Jozwich who was left with a negative $1000 balance after being duped by a fraudulent email into giving out security information.
Besides, even if you don't believe there are any crooks like this where you live, you need to understand one thing: the crooks don't need to live where you live. Online banking fraud is the kind of crime where the criminal could be across the world from you.
Does this mean you should not use online banking? Of course not. But you need to take precautions. Use these steps when banking online:
1. Make sure that that the website is https- there must be and "s" at the end here because this is indicative of a more secure website.
2. Only use your own computer to do your banking and keep your anti-virus software up to date.
3. Use a different user name and password for each financial account and don't save them on your computer. Change your password frequently.
4. Use and maintain a firewall.
5. Don't do your banking business on a public network like at Starbucks.
6. Never respond to any email that asks for personal information. Your bank will email you through their website. Telephone them if you have doubts.
7. Never respond to any e-mail that requests personal information.
8. Clean your computer of cookies before doing your banking. Also, consider doing a scan for rootkits and spyware. Most anti-virus scanners don't scan for these.
9. Don't use a bank that isn't FDIC-certified and insured no matter how high of an interest rate they are offering. This may be a scam.
10. Most important of all, don't click on a link in an email that promises to take you directly to your bank. Most often it will take you to your bank, but in doing so it steals your password and other private information.
A person has to be cautious when they do regular banking. They simply have to be extra cautious when they do online banking; however, the benefits outweigh the risks. It is so convenient! Just be careful, follow the ten guidelines given above, call your bank if you suspect anything amiss, and you'll be fine.
https://www.neonbeginner.com/2018/04/20/ontology-network/
According to the report from Computeractive news, online banking in the U.K. rose 14% in 2009. In fact, it was the only type of criminal fraud activity that increased-all other criminal fraud activity in the U.K. decreased that year.
Online banking is said to have increased in the U.K. for several reasons including increased phishing attacks, fraud from lost or stolen I.D. cards, and telephone fraud where the customer is tricked into giving away security details and the thief thief then goes online and helps himself to their funds
However, it is the sale of the banking fraud kit which is really making banking online a risky business. These kits can be had for a few thousand pounds. What they do is infect computers with a virus which steals all internet activity and records everything someone does on the internet, including the passwords someone may put enter into their online banking site. Thus, the thief obtains the passwords and the bank account information and goes back to the bank site and wipes out the account.
You may think, oh, that's in the U.K. That won't happen where I live. Well, I don't know where you live. But it has already been happening in the United States. Just ask Joe Lopez about the time he checked his Bank of America account only to discover $90,000 was missing. A malicious virus had infected his computer and stolen his private information. Or ask Mia Jozwich who was left with a negative $1000 balance after being duped by a fraudulent email into giving out security information.
Besides, even if you don't believe there are any crooks like this where you live, you need to understand one thing: the crooks don't need to live where you live. Online banking fraud is the kind of crime where the criminal could be across the world from you.
Does this mean you should not use online banking? Of course not. But you need to take precautions. Use these steps when banking online:
1. Make sure that that the website is https- there must be and "s" at the end here because this is indicative of a more secure website.
2. Only use your own computer to do your banking and keep your anti-virus software up to date.
3. Use a different user name and password for each financial account and don't save them on your computer. Change your password frequently.
4. Use and maintain a firewall.
5. Don't do your banking business on a public network like at Starbucks.
6. Never respond to any email that asks for personal information. Your bank will email you through their website. Telephone them if you have doubts.
7. Never respond to any e-mail that requests personal information.
8. Clean your computer of cookies before doing your banking. Also, consider doing a scan for rootkits and spyware. Most anti-virus scanners don't scan for these.
9. Don't use a bank that isn't FDIC-certified and insured no matter how high of an interest rate they are offering. This may be a scam.
10. Most important of all, don't click on a link in an email that promises to take you directly to your bank. Most often it will take you to your bank, but in doing so it steals your password and other private information.
A person has to be cautious when they do regular banking. They simply have to be extra cautious when they do online banking; however, the benefits outweigh the risks. It is so convenient! Just be careful, follow the ten guidelines given above, call your bank if you suspect anything amiss, and you'll be fine.
https://www.neonbeginner.com/2018/04/20/ontology-network/