Preventing Debit Card Fraud

If you have online accounts (e.g., iTunes, Netflix, Apple TV, etc.), hackers could try to steal your personal information. Your name, email address, passwords and credit card information could be at risk.

Here are four tips to help you protect your accounts... and your money!

• Use a different password for every online account. Remembering multiple passwords can be a pain, but if one account gets hacked and your password is stolen, your other accounts won’t be in jeopardy. Select passwords that are difficult to hack (see the bottom of this article for tips on creating strong passwords).
• Review your accounts regularly. Every time you receive a statement from your financial institution, READ IT. Report any suspicious activity immediately. The earlier you catch a fraudulent charge, the better.
• Don’t log in to your account on a shared computer or public Wi-Fi network. You never know if a public computer (or even a friend’s) is infected with a virus or malware that can steal your password. If you’re not on your own computer or network, avoid accessing any site that requires personal information.
• Don’t give your personal information to anyone. A company you do business with will never contact you asking for information they should already have. If this happens, it could be a huge red flag indicating that one of your accounts has been hacked. Hang up or delete the email and check your account immediately.

A strong password is a great defense against hackers. Use these tips to create passwords that hackers hate:

Randomly use symbols for letters that look the same. For instance, the letter “a” becomes “@” and the letter “o” becomes the number zero (“0”). Example:

Weak password: orangecrayon
Stronger password: 0r@ng3cr@y0n

Use uppercase and lowercase letters combined with numbers. Example:

Weak password: marvelfan
Stronger password: M@rv3LF@n

Use words that are not in the dictionary. Example: 

Weak password: bicycles
Stronger password: P!3cycl35

Combine all three tips, and you’ll have a password sure to frustrate hackers everywhere!