Protect your wallet from fraud, no one is exempt
In this post, we will discuss the most frequent forms of fraud and how you can avoid becoming a victim.
One of the topics that are constantly on everyone's lips is financial fraud. If you are one of those who think you will never fall victim to one, check out the following article, since no one is exempt from being a victim.
Those who carry out these types of activities act in different ways, so you must implement actions to protect what you worked so hard to obtain: your money and patrimony. We know financial fraud is all those actions that a person performs illegally to obtain their benefit and damage the economy of another.
By telephone
This is one of the first means used by fraudsters to obtain your personal and financial information. Be very cautious if someone contacts you to confirm your personal information: name, address, RFC or CURP, account or card number, PIN, passwords, security codes, etcetera. Listen carefully, and if you doubt the purpose of the call, do not give out your information.
How should you act?
Contact your financial institution and confirm the information obtained from the call. If you provided the information requested, do not hesitate to cancel your cards and check if you do not have any unauthorized expenses.
By cell phone through SMS messages (Smishing)
Also known as smishing, in this type of fraud, you are usually sent an SMS message to your cell phone, to get you to visit a fraudulent web page. The purpose of this is to get your banking information to make transactions in your name.
How should you act?
Avoid opening links to suspicious sites. If you are downloading any application, do it through the official stores.
Cloning, theft, and alteration of information
Generally, this type of fraud is carried out at ATMs, bank branches, gas stations, and restaurants, among others. The way they operate is varied. However, the information they need to know is your PIN and card number.
How should you act?
Before using the ATM, check if you detect loose parts, bands, or nets in the slots. If so, report it and do not use it. When paying with your credit or debit card, do not lose sight of it. Ask to carry the terminal and cover the keypad when entering the PIN.
Do not accept help from strangers for any type of transaction; if you need someone to help you, go to the bank's staff. Hire alert services to receive notifications of your movements and know instantly what is happening with your finances. Check with your financial institution for costs and operations.
Fake Internet sites (Phishing)
As in other types of fraud, the creators of these sites seek to obtain your banking information. This fraud is also known as phishing, in which fraudsters create a fake page to impersonate a financial institution, either by telling you that there is an error in your bank account or with some other alarming situation, they convince you to give them the information they need.
How should you act?
Avoid accessing websites that you do not recognize or that seem insecure. If you need to enter a website, type directly into the address bar of the page you want to enter. Never open attachments supposedly from your bank or downloaded from the Internet.
By email and social networks
You just won the jackpot: 1 million pesos. Sound familiar? Emails with messages like the one above are used to commit fraud. Another name that is given is spam or junk mail. It is a message sent to several recipients who usually did not request it and is disguised for advertising or commercial purposes. The information in this email invites you to visit a page or download a file that is usually a virus, through which data is stolen from your device.
Through social networks, fraudsters send private messages requesting your personal and banking data. If you receive a message of this type, immediately doubt its origin; do not provide anything and verify the situation with your bank. Fraud can also be committed using pop-up windows or links to fake pages; this is known as pharming. Don't fall for this scam. Make sure you see the blue check mark on all official platforms or a closed padlock in the navigation bar.
Remember that the increase in financial fraud is mainly due to the lack of information and how you have your information on the network. Handle your banking or personal data with extreme care!
