Better Safe than Sorry
Another thing you can add for your Lenten Financial Journey, might be to be more secure, especially with your passwords and your PINs.
When was the last time you changed the password for your on-line banking, or your credit card on-line page? Don’t like changing it because it is so hard to remember? The people trying to scam your on-line access will thank you when your money disappears. Won’t happen to you? Think again.
Given the latest wave of phishing and hacking that has been going on, this stuff is no longer being done by “rambunctious teenagers”, this is organized, and it is criminal. Who exactly is doing this? Did I not just say organized crime? This is a new booming money-making scheme for them (and for other groups too), and you are in their cross hairs.
Add security this Lent, by changing all your passwords at least once. Think up a good one, and then you can figure out a system to change those passwords at least once every 3 months if not more (sounds like a pain in the rump? sorry good security demands vigilance).
Funny Looking ATM?
Watch out for your PINs as well (PIN I think is Personal Identifying Number for your ATM Banking), there are a lot of different scams going on there as well. Remember I have been a victim of Bank Card Fraud, and it is another booming nefarious business these days too. Always have a look at your ATM, if anything looks funny, or different, maybe go to another machine. Our guess is the PIN for us got stolen at a gas station, so be careful wherever you use your PIN.
Russell at the Chatswood Moneyblog hosts what may be the best Cavalcade of Risk yet, and your post is in it:
http://www.chatswood.co.nz/moneyblog/2011/04/cavalcade-of-risk-128th-edition.html
Please let your readers know.
My bank asks me security questions every time i try to login online from different computer? Do security questions help at all?
I am so bad at this. I never change my passwords and I usually use the same couple for everything. I hate having to try to remember so many.
Changing passwords on a regular basis is a good security measure. The only issue is that there are so many passwords that we all must remember, that it can be difficult to constantly change them.
When creating passwords go for length as the longer the password the more secure it is.
ATM is a popular method of stealing method with a bank card because using an ATM with a stolen/fake card means instant cash.
I’ve been using “password” and “1234” for years. I’ve only been defrauded 11 times.
Seriously though, this is a good advice.
We can test our password strength here:
http://askthegeek.us/pwd_meter/index.htm
You too? Who would have thunk it?!?