FBI Safety Tips

FBI SHARES SAFETY TIPS FOR MOBILE BANKING

The FBI advises the public to be cautious when downloading apps on smartphones and tablets, as some could be concealing malicious intent. They recommend only obtaining smartphone apps from trusted sources like official app stores or directly from bank/credit union websites.

They also encourage the use of two-factor or multi-factor authentication and warn against clicking links in e-mails or texts messages.  To ensure a message is coming directly from your financial institution, they recommend double-checking the e-mail details, and warn against giving any two-factor passcodes to anyone over the phone or via text. Financial institutions will not ask you for these codes over the phone.

Create strong, unique passwords that contain numbers, symbols and upper & lower case letters, with a minimum of eight characters. Don’t reuse the same passwords for multiple accounts, don’t use common passwords, and don’t share your password with anyone. Financial institutions will not ask you for your password over the phone or via text message. If you encounter an app that appears suspicious, exercise caution and contact that financial institution.