Tips to make sure you stay safe over the silly season

Here are some tips to make sure you stay safe over the silly season:

1. Share your holiday stories - but keep your personal and banking information to yourself.
   • Verify all requests for personal information and only provide it when there is a legitimate reason to do so
   • Keep PIN numbers and passwords confidential
   • Don’t disclose personal information such as passwords and PINs when asked to do so by anyone via telephone, fax or even email
   • Don’t write down PINs and passwords and avoid obvious choices like birth dates and first names
2. Just because it says “Discovery Bank” is calling, doesn’t mean it is - we’ll never ask you to disclose your online banking login details or PIN over the phone.
   • Be conscious of the fact that criminals can mask their telephone numbers to make it seem as if a legitimate individual or company is making the phone call.
   • Also note that Banks will never ask you to confirm your confidential information over the phone.
   • If you receive an OTP on your phone without having transacted yourself, it is likely that it is a fraudster who has used your personal information. Do not provide the OTP telephonically to anybody. Contact your bank immediately to alert them to the possibility that your information may have been compromised.
3. Think twice before connecting to a free WiFi hotspot when doing your banking - your information could be intercepted quicker than the holiday period passes!
   • This includes using Internet Cafes or unsecure terminals (hotels, conference centres etc)
4. You might be avoiding the mall by doing online shopping but so are criminals, looking for any way to access your information - so use your card only on secure websites.
   • Only use your card on secure websites. Be aware that the ‘s’ in the ‘https’ no longer guarantees that a website is secure.
   • Always log out of sites into which you have logged in or registered details.
   • Check your bank balance after making any shopping payment and report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.
   • Again, register for 3D Secure to secure your card details.
5. Be aware of fraudulent websites offering great deals on holiday packages - if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
   • Do not trust websites you do not know and be observant that you are indeed using the correct website.
   • If you are requested to confirm your banking or personal details via a link, don’t click on it.
6. You could lose so much more than just your holiday pics and contacts when you lose your phone - contact us as soon as possible if you lose your phone.
   • Utilising the Android and iPhone “find my phone” and locking services.
   • Never respond to follow-ups messages (such as emails and SMSes) saying that your phone has been recovered. The fraudsters are likely to be after further registration details.
7. If you have to resort to cash and need to use an ATM, don’t accept help from anyone while withdrawing cash.
   • Be cautious of strangers offering to help as they could be trying to distract you in order to get your card or PIN.
   • If you are disturbed or interfered with, whilst transacting at the ATM, your card may be skimmed, by being removed and replaced back into the ATM without your knowledge. Cancel the transaction immediately and report the incident to the Bank.
   • Do not insert your card if the screen layout is not familiar to you and looks like the machine has been tampered with.
8. Use the phone lock settings on your device to prevent people from accessing your phone and personal details.