Three rules to defend against e-Fraud

After having read my previous blog-post, I realised how scary it can be for un-informed people doing their banking in the electronic world. I thought one can make it simple by giving three simple rules to consumers that will make banking much safer. In my view these are:

1. Never write your passwords, PIN's or any security information down. Make sure that no-body can see this information or steal it in any way. When you feel that this information has been compromised, contact your bank or log on to the website or mobile phone and change the secret information to something else immediately.

2. Never communicate with your "bank" via a mechanism or channel that you are not fimiliar with. If your "bank" phone you or send you an e-mail or SMS requesting you to give security information, don't do it. Rather contact your bank via channels that you have used before (a known website, a known telephone-number or menu on your phone) to check this unsolicited request.

3. When your phone dies unexpectantly, phone your phone from another phone. If your number rings and it is not the phone in your hand that rings, chances are that your SIM has been swapped illegally. Phone your mobile Operator and report your phone as stolen so that they can switch it off immediately. Even if this does not stop a bank fraud, at least it will stop some-one calling on your account.

As with anything in life, safety is common-sense. People feel safe in their houses only because they know that they must lock-up at night. People feel safe in their cars, because they put on safety belts.... to feel safe in doing banking remotely, one must stick to a few simple rules.