The Trusty Tools

These are the no-brainers.

Never ever ever:

• Give personal, account, or payment info over the phone, email or internet unless you make the initial contact
• Enter account or payment information in emails you believe to be from a financial institution (nbkc will never ask you for this information via email).
• Carry more credit cards than you need
• Carry your social security number and drivers license together in your wallet.
• Leave paid bills in your mailbox for the carrier to pick up unless it's a locked box
• Connect to Public Wi-Fi without a VPN

Always always always:

• Use Anti-virus software and multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Shred any and all printed bank materials not kept for records
• Be watchful at ATMs when entering your PIN
• Write clearly on all credit applications
• Monitor your credit and bank accounts carefully to catch unauthorized charges
• Only give your Social Security number when absolutely necessary
• Call the creditor if you do not receive a bill on time
• Contact all creditors and update them on your address change immediately if moving
• Immediately report lost or stolen checks
• Only shop on websites that offer a privacy policy and are secure

Free annual credit reports.

The three big dogs of credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. And they’ve made it easy to order annual reports by way of a centralized spot.

Head over to AnnualCreditReport.com to request yours.

Pepper Spray for Check Thieves

“Despite the declining use of checks in the United States, criminals have been increasingly targeting the U.S. Mail since the COVID-19 pandemic to commit check fraud,” wrote The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a part of the Treasury Department, in an alert sent earlier this year.*

Checks are most commonly stolen through mail boxes and drop boxes. Just one single check being stolen could give away your bank account and identity.

How to check yourself against check fraud

• Walk your check inside the post office.
• Rent a PO box
• Go to the biller’s website and pay directly there
• Contact your vendors and payees to see if there is another payment option available
• Set up online bill pay

Want more ways to spot, avoid and report fake check scams? The FTC has you covered.

Already had a check stolen? The United States Postal Inspection Service has advice.

Repellant for Phishing Bait

Phishing attacks look legit. Like they’re coming from a bank or credit card company.

Email Phishing Hooks to Look For

• Sender's Email Address: To give a false sense of security, scammers include an official-looking address in the "From" line. Do not let this field determine if it is a legitimate email.
• Email or Text Message Greeting: A fraudulent email will contain a greeting such as "Dear Customer" rather than your name.
• False Sense of Urgency: Most phishing emails try to deceive you with the threat that your accounts are in jeopardy of being closed.
• Fake Links: Phishing emails have links that look valid, but in reality send you to a fake website. Always check where a link is going before clicking. To do this, hover over the URL with your mouse, and look at the URL in the browser.
• Attachments: Never click on an attachment unless you know what it is and who it is from. It could cause you to download spyware or a virus.

Website Phishing Hooks to Look For

• Secure Forms: Prior to entering any personal information, make sure the page url has 'https:' in front of it. The 'https:' signifies a secure page.
• Out-of-Place Lock Icon: Make sure the secure lock icon is in the status bar at the bottom of the browser.