We hear about cyber crime quite a bit these days. Stolen identities, data breaches, cloned credit and debit cards, it's pretty scary out there. Most people think it can't happen to them but, it can. It happened to me just about 2 weeks ago. While checking my bank account online, I discovered over $1,000 had been taken from a checking account and a savings account. Fortunately, my bank reimbursed me in just a couple of days but for some, it's a long, uphill battle to get your money back. October is National Cyber Security Month, and the Victoria Better Business Bureau has tips to help protect you online.

  • Keep a clean machine. Whether it’s a mobile device, tablet or laptop, make sure security software is current and up-to-date. Having the latest software on all devices can be one of the best defenses against viruses, malware and other online threats.
  • Protect personal information. Shred all statements and applications you get in the mail that you don’t want to keep, including credit card applications, insurance forms, financial statements, and billing statements for utilities.
  • Change passwords for all online accounts regularly. When changing your password, make it long, strong and unique, with a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. By keeping various passwords on your accounts you lessen the risk of multiple accounts being compromised.
  • Check your bank statements and credit report. Read your bank statements monthly, and check your balance weekly to make sure no unauthorized transactions have been made to your account. At least once a year, get your credit report for free from each of the three credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
  • Connect with care. Use caution when logging on to public Wi-Fi networks and send personal information only to websites that are fully encrypted.
  • Stay informed. Keep up with new ways to stay safe online. Check trusted websites for the latest information, and share it with family, friends and colleagues and encourage them to be web-wise.
  • Steer clear of suspicious texts, emails and links. Unsolicited emails and pop-up ads can be full of computer viruses designed to steal usernames and passwords from your computer. Don’t give in to curiosity; close or delete the message.
  • Report it. If your identity has been stolen or compromised, contact one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) to report the crime. Request that the credit bureau place a fraud alert on your credit report to prevent any further fraudulent activity from occurring. As soon as one of the bureaus issues a fraud alert, the other two bureaus are automatically notified.

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