Fraud Alerts! 3 Ways Bad Guys are Trying to Get Access to Your Information and How You Can Protect Yourself Right Now

This article about the latest fraud alerts is sponsored by Altabank. Member FDIC.

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There are always fraud scams happening around you, but do you know how to protect yourself from the most common ones? Here are 3 popular scams, and how you can protect yourself against them right now.

Identity Theft

Identity theft involving bank accounts is, unfortunately, becoming more commonplace these days. Someone can trick a victim into turning over their account number and personal information. They can turn around and use that to access the victim’s account. Then there’s nothing stopping them from transferring money in and out of the compromised account. If the victim doesn’t regularly watch their account they might even miss all these transfers. 

Email Scams (Phishing)

Phishing is the most common digital scam where attackers try to access and exploit your data and information. These attempts happen through email, and usually, these emails try to get you to simply click on a file or link containing malware or ransomware. Or they can send you to a fake page telling you to log in to your account. They use basic psychology to trick you into providing all kinds of information. It’s actually pretty easy to fall for these emails. But there are some very clear signs that everyone should learn how to spot. Make sure to only open emails from people you know, and don’t click anything in an email that looks suspicious in any way.

Fake Phone Calls

Yep, these scams are still around. Some technology has helped service providers curb scam calls. But callers posing as the IRS, the FBI, loan officers or anyone saying you owe money are still causing headaches for people all over the country. So how can you protect yourself? Most phones have the ability to block calls directly. But you can also block calls from unknown numbers in iPhones and Androids. But the best first line of defense is just not answering calls from numbers you don’t recognize.

Protect Yourself from Fraud Alerts

Banks like Altabank are starting to use multi-factor authentication to access their online banking and mobile banking applications. That means you have to verify your identity before you can access your account. Banks also have a lot of internal ways to identify suspicious behavior which may be taking place with your accounts. To find out more about how Altabank can protect you and your money you can check out their Fraud Protection Services.