Bank Account Good Practices:
- Review your statement regularly, checking for unauthorized charges. If you see something suspicious, notify us immediately.
- Sign up for digital banking and e-Statements for real-time access to your account information and quicker access to account statements.
- Don’t include personal information, such as Social Security Numbers, on checks.
- Keep both new and cancelled checks in a secure location.
- Never give your account # to anyone, unless there is a legitimate reason for doing so – i.e. direct deposit. This especially applies to unsolicited phone calls!
Debit/Credit Card Good Practices:
- Never give your card to another party for use. Always keep it in a secure location.
- Never send out your card number through email. It is not secure.
- Never provide your card number through an unsolicited phone call. When handling calls from numbers you don’t recognize, treat them with a high degree of suspicion.
- Never provide your PIN number to anyone.
- Cover the PIN pad when using an ATM to prevent onlookers from guessing your PIN.
- If you have forgotten the PIN to your Bank of Edison debit card, come into the bank to change it.
- When making online purchases, check the URL (or web address) to make sure it’s secure. If the address doesn’t begin with https, it is not a secure site and should not be used.
- Never make a credit card transaction online while connected to public Wi-fi.
- Make sure you understand Regulation E and the protection it provides you.
Mobile Device Good Practices:
- Always protect access to your device with a password or numeric passcode. Your mobile phone potentially contains a some significant personal and sensitive information.
- Consider a mobile device management service that will allow you to track your phone, or even wipe it free of all data, in the event of loss or theft.
- Be careful of the apps you install on your phone or tablet. Some apps, such as Tik Tok, have “back doors” programmed into them, allowing others unfettered access to your device.
- Beware of unsolicited texts containing links. These are most likely smishing attempts.
Internet Usage Good Practices:
- For online accounts, never use your birthday, social security number or any other identifying information as your username or password.
- Change passwords to your online accounts regularly (every 60 days is recommended), and use passwords that only you could guess. It is recommended that you have a minimum of 12 characters in your passwords, and make sure to utilize special characters such as @, #, ! or $.
- Never put sensitive information on social media, and we recommend you do not buy products off of social media advertisements.
- Beware suspicious looking emails containing file attachments or links to websites. Creators of phishing emails are highly sophisticated and can make unsuspecting recipients believe that the email is valid and demands an urgent reply revealing sensitive information. Remember, no one should EVER request any piece of sensitive information via email. This include SSN, bank account number, PIN or online banking password.
Additional Resources:
- Monitor your credit at least once per year. You can get a free credit report once a year from each of the major credit bureaus at annualcreditreport.com .
- Understand the FDIC Insurance coverage and how to best protect your money by visiting fdic.gov/resources/deposit-insurance/