Lending scams and money scams seem to pop up every day, but many customers continue to be lax about their personal and financial security. Even you could be making these common security mistakes:
1) Doing online banking without being careful about computer security. Online banking is convenient but it can also be dangerous if you don’t have a good security system in place. Update your computer often, use firewalls, and have a good anti-virus suite in place.
2) Being lax with your PIN. You should never choose a PIN that is easy to guess. You should also never share your PIN or write it down. When typing in your PIN at an ATM or when making a debit purchase, check for shoulder surfers and cover up your PIN.
3) Not looking at paperwork – bills, statements. Bills and statements are a clue to your financial life. If you notice charges and uses that aren’t yours, you need to alert the companies in question. You could be the victim of fraud.
4) Not checking your credit score. Once or twice a year, at least, you should read your credit report to see whether there are any signs of criminal activity (such as personal loans in your name that you did not apply for).
5) Not reporting strange mail activity. If your mail suddenly stops or you start getting mail from banks you do not do business with, you need to investigate further.…