ATM cards has become the most vulnerable IT gadget we take about in Nigeria.7 out of 10 people in Nigeria uses their year of birth as their Personal Identification Number (PIN)!Please, if you have done that, change your PIN right away; Do not use numbers associated with you as your PIN (please refer to how to create passwords);Do not tell anybody your PIN-They might use it later, or tell someone else unconsciously; Do not write your PIN on a paper, please try and know the four characters by heart.
As the Banking industry as resorted to downsizing as one of their strategies in recuperating from the economy downturn in the country, it will be expedient for Nigerians that patronizes these banks, especially, the affected ones, to keep watch on their ATM transactions, they can resort to changing their PIN every 20 days; check on their bank transaction statement whenever they visit the banks.
Obviously, the internet has become a safe haven for fraudsters all around the world, Phishing sites now populate our emails with ATM update mails. Please Do not respond to those mails, delete those mails immediately!No bank or organization in Nigeria or in other part of the world will ask you to “upgrade or update your ATM Card Information”.
Online Shopping has become one of the holy grails Nigerians can not afford to meet up with, and if they do, they should be aware that even in developed countries, credit card scams that emanate from online shopping constitute to about 60% of cybercrimes that has been witnessed over time; You should be conscious of the websites your transact business with or on, check if they are been verified by an authorized SSL (secure socket layer)certificate vendor which includes companies like Verisign, Thwate, and Digicert.
The ATM as become part of our life, and it makes transactions easier, for us to maximize its usage, we must protect our PIN from fraudsters, it is only then, we can be rest assured of enjoying the value that comes with Information Technology
