Prevent Online Identity Theft

There’s no doubt the Internet has made our lives substantially easier. We can shop, pay our bills, receive our salaries, and even order our groceries all from the comfort of our own homes. But with this convenience comes a price to pay – our privacy. With each transaction we make online, we are risking our identity and bank details. If you are not careful about the sites you visit or how you use the Internet, you could easily become a victim of online identity theft or banking fraud.

Keep your hard-earned money where it belongs and learn how to avoid identity theft online with Metrobank.

Properly manage your passwords

Your username and password are the digital passport to your online information. You’d want to keep them as safe and secure as possible by making your password difficult to guess. Ideally, strong passwords are randomly generated and contain a string of capital and lowercase letters, special characters, and numbers. If this is too difficult for you to make or remember, you should at least refrain from using your real name or family members’ names, birth dates, and your address as your password. Try to use a unique password per account. This may be difficult to remember, so we recommend investing in a password vault like LastPass that not only keeps your passwords encrypted, but it also generates difficult to guess passwords for each of your accounts as well.

Use two-factor authentication

Even if you have the strongest username and password, hackers may still find a way into it. Another step you can take in protecting your identity online involves setting up what is called a Two-Factor Authentication. Two-Factor Authentication is a process where the system sends a unique code to your mobile number, email address, or even Facebook account after inputting your username and password in order to authorize your log in attempt.

Keep your device updated

Most devices’ operating systems, including the ones in your laptops and smartphones, have built-in security functionality that can catch and prevent security breaches right away. These security features are often enhanced and strengthened with each update, so make sure you make a habit of updating your:

• Computer and mobile phone operating system software
• Anti-virus and anti-malware programs
• Mobile apps
• Web browser

Check the plug-ins and add-ons connected to your email inbox

Another way you can prevent identity theft online is by limiting which applications have access to your account. Every email service provider has the option to view which third-party services and applications have access to your account. You can choose to revoke the access at any time should you change your mind. If you notice that an unauthorized application is on the list or you simply don’t want to give it access any more, you can remove the access permission . Make it a habit to remove authorization for applications which you no longer use.

Be mindful of the “online challenges” you participate in

There are a ton of online challenges that go viral on social media. They are usually some plays on your name plus your favorite food or color. While it may seem like innocent fun, don’t be so quick to join the bandwagon. Some of these online challenges or games may just be a way for hackers to mine personal information they can use to guess your password such as your street name, where you grew up, your childhood’s pet name, your favorite sports team, your mother’s maiden name, and so on. If you notice, these are the usual security questions you can use to retrieve forgotten passwords. Err on the side of caution when participating in these sorts of viral posts.

Don’t post your sensitive information online

If you haven’t yet, limit those who can see your birth date, birthplace, mobile number, and even email address on social media, especially if you use your full name as your profile name. All these can be used to create a duplicate account of you or even to impersonate you off the Internet. Hackers are known to scour social media for any personal information that’s visible for all and use it to target their victims. Don’t be their next prey.

Help us #FightFraud

Now that you know the different ways to protect your online identity, help us put cybercriminals in their place. If you suspect you’ve been a victim of fraud, call us immediately and report the fraud incident to (02) 88-700-700 or 1-800-1888-5775. You can also email us at customercare@metrobank.com.ph using “Report on Possible Fraud” as the subject.

Metrobank takes fraud seriously. You can be part of the fight. Browse through our articles and learn more about how we can fight fraud together.