Be Aware! Fraud and financial crime is knocking at the door!

Bangladesh is now booming in world's financial sector. So international criminal, hacker, fraudster etc. are now watching and observing people of Bangladesh as well as country's financial movement. They are trying to find the weakness of the people and the country through which they will make financial crime. White skin so called gentlemen are also now making us victim. They are coming to our country to do that. Bangladesh Bank's account has also been hacked recently. 

We have to be aware of those threats. Protecting ourselves from financial crimes in the modern day can be much more elusive than what we were used to in the past. Once a day this region was rich in all sectors and so called white skin gentlemen came here and adopted their crime/fraud based intelligence. We have to understand this. For that, we have to strengthen our security system in all aspects. We have to alert ourselves at home, abroad and also in traveling, transaction, any type of financial/physical movement - everywhere.

Knowing what to do after you’ve become a victim is important, but unfortunately the crime has already occurred. What could be more valuable is knowing how to prevent such crimes from happening in the first place.

Here are a few steps you can take now to protect yourself from becoming a victim of financial crime at home and abroad:

1. Be Aware – Just like you need to be aware of your physical safety, you need to be aware of the places you go and the people who might be able to see your personal identifying information: name, TIN, Passport No., NID, Card Number, PIN, anything that can be used to create a false persona. Be extremely aware of the different places that you are using that information and limit the use whenever possible.
2. Be wary of unsolicited approaches by phone, especially if asked to provide any of your personal information. Be cautious of who you provide your personal and financial information to.
3. Be cautious with public Wi-Fi networks –Don’t count on the provider of the Wi-Fi network to protect your personal information. Browsing for fun is OK, but don’t sit at a coffee shop and pay all your bills online. Who knows who’s sitting there watching?
4. Be cognizant of phishing scams – Don’t call the number on the notice saying your credit card has been compromised. That could be the scam! Instead, get your credit card in hand, turn it over and call the number on the back to ask if your credit card has been accessed.
5. Don’t click on links in your email – Open up a new browser and go directly to the bank or credit card you wish to get information from. By clicking on a link, you could be routed to a very believable but fraudulent financial institution page. When you attempt to log in with your user ID and password, you’ll be giving that information away to the criminal who hosted the fake webpage.
6. Never hand over your card to any other people, or never go to out of mind when your card is punching in a sales shop by a sales man. Never mail/message your card information i.e. card number, 3 digit code etc. to other
7. Set transaction alerts on your Credit Card – You can preset alerts for activity on your account that you know would be alarming or unusual, such as a transaction over a specific dollar amount.
8. Be smart with your passwords – Don’t use the same password for multiple sites. Use strong passwords and change passwords frequently. Don’t use your lovers’ name, birth date, school/college name!! People spend hours trying to figure out your personal information and those names are the first thing people try to guess.
9. Never put your password in open air. Put your other hand or any other item on your hand employing to type password, so that no hidden camera will trace what word(s) is/are inserting as the part of password.
10. Be aware of the machine you are using to draw money through card. ATM Booth room, Teller Machine, Room camera everything will be concerned. Sales man’s machine and punching time should also not be gone away from your alertness.
11. Before entering any ATM Booth, you should check and be aware of your surroundings, security guard and other people waiting or walking there.  
12. Use a credit card over a debit card – When you use a debit card, the money is coming directly out of your bank account. If fraud occurred, the bank may give your money back, but there can be an extended period of time that your account is frozen while you and the bank are sorting out the mess. Use a credit card instead! You can dispute a bill and you are not out of money during the investigation period.
13. Ensure that the virus and security software on your computers and mobile devices is up-to-date and current.
14. Only use trusted online payment websites for items won at online auctions or purchased online. Never make payments outside of trusted systems—particularly for goods which you have not yet received.
15. Regularly review your bank statements and obtain a copy of your credit history report. Ask your bank or financial institution for a credit or debit card with an embedded 'micro-chip'—they are more secure than cards with only magnetic stripes.
16. In relation to social networking sites, always use the most secure settings. Take extreme care if placing personal details such as date of birth, address, phone contacts or educational details on your profile, and don’t accept unsolicited 'friend' requests. Never share there your financial information. Partly avoid to inform your current location information publicly.