Useful Security intelligence when using alternative banking channels

With the rise in the use of alternative banking channels like ATMs, mobile apps, internet & mobile banking, fraudsters have also become smarter in using these channels to dupe innocent people. There are security intelligence when using alternative banking channels. Here are some tips to ensure that you do not become a victim of desperate fraudsters;

·         Familiarize yourself with the look and feel of the ATM key pad where you punch in your details. Be alert for scratches, marks, adhesive, unusual join marks anywhere on the ATM. Also watch out for any tape residue or sticky material on ATMs. If you notice any of these signs on an ATM, do not use.

·         Avoid using an ATM machine that has its security cameras installed so close that it records your PIN. If the camera is looking at how you input your PIN in the ATM, do not use.

·         Never use an ATM machine when other people are loitering, hanging over your shoulders, or straining their neck to see what you are doing. Do not accept help from strangers or even bank security to retrieve an ATM card stuck in an ATM machine. If your card is stuck, report to the bank.

·         Do not use ATM machines with extra signage or warnings posted on the machine, especially when it does not have the bank’s logo or the logo of a host you can identify.

·         Never keep a written copy of your PIN or internet banking password in your wallet or purse as it could be stolen. The safest store house for your PIN or Internet Banking passwords is your head.

·         Lastly, if a point of sale terminal shows signs of possible tampering, for example having a ‘Press Hard' sticky note, do not use. Also do not use a POS terminal if the security seal is punctured, creased, folded, or cut, or if wires are visible through the ventilation slot.

ATM thieves, unlike armed robbers, do not carry guns. But what they can do to a person’s bank account if they hit it, can be just as bad the effect of armed robbers. You have a duty to stay alert and avoid small mistakes that expose you to their dirty tricks. Once you are able to do this, your banking experience should be safe and secure.

This has been courtesy First City Monument Bank as part of The Bankers Committee Financial Literacy Public Enlightenment Programme brought to you by The Bankers Committee, comprising all the commercial banks in Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

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