During long weekends, electronic purchases and payments, the use of credit cards, bank transfers and payments with QR codes, increase considerably. Evertec, a leading company in the implementation of online payment systems, recommends taking precautions to protect your financial information and avoid bank frauds, which also tend to increase, precisely during the national holidays.
Huircapan called not to lower your guard and protect your financial information, so as not to be exposed to fraud or cyber attacks such as phishing or adulterated POS payments (payment devices).
On a personal level, it is important to use means of payment with less contact (chip cards or electronic wallets). It is crucial to protect personal information and passwords, making sure that no one sees them. Always demand receipts and backups of what we do. It is necessary to check the amounts and not to trust when confirming any transaction, either at national level or abroad”
The specialist also recommended that “if we pay in a hotel with free Wi-Fi, it is essential to have a VPN, or to check the security of the network. On vacation, we tend to forget these precautions, which makes us more vulnerable”.
Evertec provides a series of practical tips to avoid being a victim of scams and attacks by computer criminals during the national holidays.
Tips for the safe use
of electronic payments:
- When making payments by credit or debit card, make sure the merchant is validated and has recognized security systems.
- Avoid entering your data in unknown or unreliable sites.
- Always demand payment receipts for each transaction, keep them and verify that the amounts match both in the account statement and in the receipts.
- Always verify the website: before entering any financial information, make sure that the page has a security lock (https://) and that it is the merchant’s official website. Remember that fraudulent pages may have names very similar to the original ones.
- Activate notifications on your accounts: many banking applications allow you to activate real-time notifications. This way, you can be aware of every movement and immediately detect any suspicious transaction.
- Avoid sharing financial data through social networks or messaging applications.
- Be careful with public Wi-Fi networks: if you need to make transactions abroad using public Wi-Fi networks, use a VPN or check the security system of the network you are connecting to.
Tips to avoid
bank frauds:
During this season, digital scams carried out by cybercriminals, such as phishing, smishing and QR code scams, tend to increase, due to the fact that people are celebrating and are more distracted. Here are some key recommendations to avoid these instances.
- Beware of fraudulent text messages: be wary of any SMS or email asking you for personal information, codes or passwords. Banks will never ask for confidential data in this way.
- Beware of fake QR codes: verify that the QR code you are scanning is from a trusted source.
- Avoid codes you find in unofficial places or received by unreliable means.
- Do not enter suspicious links: before any message that asks you to enter a link, always verify its authenticity by calling the bank or institution that sent it to you. Remember that many scams are presented with irresistible offers or promotions.
The Fiestas Patrias are a time for family gatherings and celebrations. With these recommendations, you will be able to enjoy with greater peace of mind, using technology safely.
