Security Awareness

Identity theft is when your ID or passport is stolen or when a false ID is created with your personal information obtained through phishing or from social media sites. Criminals use identity theft to get credit or open an account using your information and pretending to be you.

Examples of personal information

• ID

• Passport

• BVN

• NIN

• Driver's licence

• Email account

• Payslip

• Utility bill

• Bank statements

Phishing

• This is a form of fraud where criminals attempt to access your confidential information

• It is done either by an email request for information or by leading you to a fake website

• Always verify the link before you click

Vishing

• Vishing is similar to phishing, but instead of being taken to a fake website via an email. You typically would receive a call where the individual pretends to be from a bank and tries to persuade you to reveal personal information such as your username, password and PIN

• Never disclose personal information over the phone regardless of the information they may already have about you

Smishing

• Smishing is phishing through the use of an SMS, where you are encouraged to disclose personal information. The fraudster will pretend that the message is from a bank and it will prompt you to select a link

• Always verify a link before you click and never disclose personal information over the phone or SMS

Lost and stolen devices

• If your device gets lost or stolen, please call the bank or account officer immediately to report the incident

A strong password is critical to your security

Avoid using a password or variation of a password that you already use elsewhere. Also steer clear of variations of your name, or the names of family members or pets, as identity thieves can sometimes find this information on social media.

Never write down your PIN or password

Writing your PIN down, especially on your debit card, means that anyone in possession of it has access to your account. The same is true for your password. As an extra security measure, you should periodically change your debit card PIN and password.

Use strong authentication methods

Use strong authentication or two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your transactions. Two-factor authentication is an identity and access management system.