Watch Out for Cyber Crime

Reduce Your Risks: Expert Tips for Avoiding Online Fraud

• Talk to your bank. Especially before opening a new account, ask the bank how it prevents cyber theft and whether it will cover losses for business clients. If yes, ask your banker to sign an agreement to that effect, Tauzin says. “That kind of proactive stance is what will help motivate backs to get serious about cyber theft of their business customers.”
• Keeps tabs on your account. Check your online back account daily, regardless of whether you performed backing activity. And change your banking passwords on a regular basis.
• Think before you click. Attachments loaded with malicious software can steal online backing credentials from your computer. Be cautious about opening any attachment, clicking on links, or downloading files form an email.
• Confirm that your security software is active and current. At a minimum, your computer should have antivirus and antispyware software and an active firewall. If you suspect your computer in infected, stop shopping, banking, and any other online activities that involve user names, passwords, and any other sensitive information.

Information from the October 2010 issue of Realtor Magazine, Watch Out for Cyber Crime by Robert Freedman.  Go to www.onguardonline.gov to learn more about avoiding internet fraud and securing your computer.