BE VIGILANT
Do not trust anyone with your card.
Never accept help from strangers when using your ATM card
Please be alert especially at this time. Protect yourself against fraudsters;
NEVER share your PASSWORD, BVN and/or PIN with another person, not even an Access Bank employee
NEVER click links or open/download attachments or software from unknown sources, emails or text messages
NEVER respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for your personal information or financial details
If you are ever asked any of these, refuse and contact us immediately.
MOST COMMON TYPES OF FRAUD ARE
Smishing
This is a text message, often purporting to be from your bank or a regulator asking you for personal or financial information such as your account or card details
Phishing
The fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers
Social Engineering
This is the term used for a broad range of malicious activities accomplished through human interactions. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information
IDENTITY THEFT
Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name, and perhaps to the other person's disadvantage or loss.
Most common types of identity theft are:
Friendly fraud - This refers to a situation in which someone known to the victim perpetuates the fraud. For instance, friends and relatives who have access to your phones.
Stolen phone - Situations in which phones are misplaced/stolen and not reported to the Bank immediately and subsequently, payments are made to merchants via the phone, commonly airtime purchases and bill payments.
Sim swap - SIM take over without customer’s knowledge.
IDENTITY THEFT
Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name, and perhaps to the other person's disadvantage or loss.
Most common types of identity theft are:
Friendly fraud - This refers to a situation in which someone known to the victim perpetuates the fraud. For instance, friends and relatives who have access to your phones.
Stolen phone - Situations in which phones are misplaced/stolen and not reported to the Bank immediately and subsequently, payments are made to merchants via the phone, commonly airtime purchases and bill payments.
Sim swap - SIM take over without customer’s knowledge.
DETECTING SMISHING/PHISHING
Urgency: you should regard urgent security alerts and you-must-act-now offers or deals as warning signs of a hacking attempt.
No financial institution or merchant will send you a text message asking you to update your account information or confirm your ATM card PIN. If you get a message that seems to be from your bank or a merchant you do business with, and it asks you to click on something in the message, it's a fraud. Call your bank or merchant directly if you are in doubt.
Threat to close down your account. No financial institution wants to lose their customers, so nobody is going to close your account unduly.
HOW TO HANDLE
Refuse to take the bait—simply don't respond and delete such emails immediately.
Report all smishing attacks to your bank by providing the phone number that sent the text message.
DETECTING IDENTITY THEFT
Inability to place or receive calls on your phones -sim swap Receiving alerts for transactions you didn’t authorize
HOW TO HANDLE
Report cases of missing/stolen phones to your bank immediately.
Do not save details of your bank account or card details on your mobile phone.
Report to the bank if the phone number maintained on your account has been inactive for close to 3 months.
USEFUL TIPS TO AID YOU PROTECT YOURSELF
Use Strong Passwords: Having a weak password is like begging to be defrauded. When setting up your passwords for platforms that contain sensitive information like your email or your mobile banking app, it is important that you use strong passwords. A strong password should be over 8 characters, inclusive of lower and upper case alphabets, a number and a symbol.
Do Not Share Your PIN or Passwords: Your ATM PIN is not a problem, don’t share it. This is a tip that everyone knows but does not abide by. Remember that not everyone is who they claim to be and you cannot trust everyone. So, refrain from sharing your PIN or Passwords with people. It is not safe.
Be Careful About Using Unsecured Wifi: Save your data or protect your funds -- the choice is yours. While a lot of people get really excited about free Wifi, they forget that when a Wifi connection is unsecured, hackers can eavesdrop on your connection to find and gather all kinds of information including your passwords and PINs. Ask yourself, is the free Wifi worth the risk?
Only Use Reputable Websites When Making Purchases: There is no such thing as being too careful. Are you buying a new pair of shoes, paying for your bills or trying to book a flight? Don’t just put your sensitive information on any website, research the website, check reviews and be sure it is not a front for identity theft.
Check Your Account Balance And Statement Regularly: It’s better to be safe than sorry. It takes most people about 3 months to figure out that they are victims of identity theft but it would probably take a lot less if they looked through their account for any irregularities often. Go through your statements and balances just to be safe.
NOTICE
Please be informed that Access Bank will never ask for your full card PAN, PIN or OTP. When in doubt, visit the nearest Access Bank branch for clarification.
See other useful articles on fraud prevention below:
5 Simple Tips to Prevent Fraud on Your Account Be Wary of Scams During Lock down How to Curb Fraud with the Self-Service USSD (*901*911#) Coronavirus Scams Stay Safe Stay Vigilant
For further enquiries, call our Contact Centre on
01 271-2005-7 or send an email to
contactcentre@accessbankplc.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.