October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. At Best Reward, we make every effort to use the latest technology and product enhancements to safeguard your financial information. It’s going to take all of us to protect the systems we all rely on. Start today by following these tips below:
1. Keep software systems up to date and use a good anti-virus program.
2. Examine the email address and URLs received. Scammers often mimic a legitimate website or email address by using a slight variation in the spelling.
3. If an unsolicited text message, email, or phone call asks you to update or verify your account information, do NOT follow the link or call the phone number provided in the message itself. Go to the company’s website to login to your account or call the phone number on the official website to see if something does in fact need your attention.
4. Do NOT open any attachments unless you are expecting the file and have verified the sender’s email address.
5. Scrutinize all electronic requests for a payment or transfer of funds and be extra suspicious if it urges immediate action.
6. Check your credit reports annually from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – for FREE – by visiting annualcreditreport.com. Accounts or activity that you don’t recognize could indicate identity theft. Visit identitytheft.gov to find out what to do.
7. Place a credit freeze on your files. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name. Keep in mind that a credit freeze won’t prevent a thief from making charges to your existing accounts.
8. Monitor your existing credit card and bank account statements closely for charges you don’t recognize.
You can learn more by visiting these two websites to help better protect yourself:
• MyCreditUnion.Gov
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency