By Tom Wilbur
There are people in the world lurking, and waiting, and scheming– to become you. They’d like to get very close to you. It’s not because you use the newest deodorant soap or are a good looking red-head (although you may well be, handsome, that’s not for me to judge) but it’s primarily because there are folks out there– who just want your money. And frankly, they’d like all of it.
As bankers, we charge ourselves with the ongoing responsibility of protecting your financial information, to the best of our ability. We use systems to ensure that information provided us is kept private. Regulations ask those of us who gather private information from you (like folks in the medical profession and financial services) to support, train, and test that our people and systems do exactly that—keep information private.
We work hard to help you defend your financial fort—but sadly, some of you conduct yourselves in such incredible ways—you bypass our processes, and simply invite people to help themselves to your hard earned money. And in cases like that, there are lots of challenges.
For example, we tell clients not to put their PIN number on a debit card, and then we get a call that someone has had their debit card accessed without their approval. When we inquire as to how someone not associated with the card got cash from the card, the response is generally that the PIN number was on the back of the card. Really? Uh-huh.
The elderly fall victim to lots of scandals, because there are very creative story tellers out there—who think up unimaginable stories to get them to part with your money. And often times elderly folks trust what they hear, and place themselves in harm’s way. We are constantly on the lookout to help defend older folks from the difficult positions they sometimes place themselves in.
Gone undetected, things like identity theft can take months to correct and can create difficult challenges and hassles for you, your family, and even your career. There are so many things you can do to prevent these things from happening.
Here are ten quick ideas I put together to get you started:
1) Don’t put your PIN number anywhere near your debit card. Geez.
2) If something you see, hear, or read sounds too good to be true, it’s not true. A letter notifying you that you won the lottery or the Publishers Clearinghouse, or outlining a plan for you to double your money in a matter of days, most likely isn’t true. If you actually win the Publishers Clearinghouse, I’m sure they’ll catch up with you, eventually.
3) Use good password management in every area of your life when it’s required. Good passwords are never a real word, and use Capital letters, special characters and numbers— and are of sufficient length— they can’t be guessed by ScamBurglars.
4) Never give out your social security number, bank account numbers, or password to anyone on the phone, or by e-mail. Even if the person on the other end says they are from your bank. And it’s easy for scammers to copy a bank logo or a government seal, and attach it to an e-mail that pretends to be verifying your non-public information.
5) If you receive a call that you are about to inherit some money from a unknown relative or royalty in the U.K., or you get an email that a rich person in a war-torn country needs a place to store their money (like in your bank account)—disconnect immediately.
6) If you have something for sale, and the “buyer” sends you a cashier’s check for too much money, be aware it’s probably a fraudulent activity– particularly if you are dealing with someone from outside the United States. These folks want you to deposit their special check. A few days later they will call to tell you they’ve changed their mind, and because they’re such nice people, you only have to wire them half of the funds back. Yeehaw. But, in another week to ten days, that cashier’s check will come bouncing back shouting “insufficient”, and you’ll have no way to get the half you wired out to the bad guys. They’ll be long gone.
7) Never leave mail unattended in your mailbox for long periods of time. If you’re going to be gone on vacation, always have a friend or the Post Office collect and hold your mail for you.
8) Keep a close watch every month on your credit card bills and bank account statements. If issues or fraudulent charges are found early, damages (if any) can be limited, or reversed.
9) Clean up your financial trash around the house. Bank statements and dated financial information should be destroyed (stay with me here, my friends, and read further as to how you can take advantage of a special offer at the end of this piece).
10) Take time to educate yourself on ways to protect your financial information, including your rights to review your credit report.
There are lots of resources out there to help you. By going to this government website designed to protect you at https://onguardonline.gov/ you’ll learn a number of ways to make yourself less vulnerable. Further, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has a link with good ideas and information for consumers at https://fdic.gov/consumers/
Area and local resources are also available through consumer credit counseling, banks, and other websites. So take charge of your credit, take charge of your life, and place yourself in the best position possible to guard your family from those evil ScamBurglars, out to make off with your hard earned money. It doesn’t require a lot of effort to keep yourself safe— just some common sense– and a little action on your part.
Blessings.
tw
Tom Wilbur is President/CEO of BANK VI, in Salina, Kansas. A graduate of Salina Central and the University of Kansas, Tom is a lifelong resident of the Salina, a member of the Last National Band, and regularly writes for newspapers, magazines and blogs. He has been involved in leadership for numerous area organizations, and can be reached at tomw@banksix.com