March is Fraud Prevention Month and MasterCard wants to make sure you keep your plastic money secure with the following tips below.
- Know the facts about the layers of security built into your card’s payment network.
- Create strong passwords. Mix in upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Also make it a habit to change your password.
- Don’t click on links within emails or attachments, particularly from people you don’t know. If it’s from someone you do know and you still feel skeptical about the content of the email, check with your contact to make sure they sent it.
- If you accidentally clicked this and found the link to be suspicious, report this to your card issuer immediately so they can protect your account.
- Be wary of unsolicited emails, text messages, calls, etc., especially if they ask for your credit card and other personal details.
- When shopping online, make sure the site is reliable and secure. Check if the SecureCode symbol from MasterCard can be seen at checkout. This adds a layer of secure and verifies your identity.
- Make use of tap to pay services or Chip & PIN. And when you input your PIN in public, make sure you’re the only one who can see it.
- Monitor your card statement. Signup for online account of your bank and regularly monitor this. Alert your bank immediately if you see any suspicious purchases.