10 simple steps to help protect yourself from fraud

It’s International Fraud Week. As the ease of making financial transactions second nature through a few easy clicks on a computer, criminals are finding new ways of committing fraud. Scam attempts that play on your emotions and seek to gain your trust are more frequent and more effective.

Vigilance is your best defense in protecting yourself. Here are some simple tips you can follow to avoid the most common types of fraud.

Voya’s “Top 10 Tips”

1. Update your software and operating systems. Outdated systems make your personal information and accounts vulnerable.

2. Protect your systems with anti-virus software. New threats may expose you to risk.

3. Establish unique, long, and complex passwords. Passwords that are easily guessed, reused across multiple accounts, or shared put you at risk!

4. Never share your account passwords, PIN, one-time passcode, Social Security numbers, or any other personal information. Sharing personal information increases the risk of fraud.

5. Protect your login information. Do not store it on or even beside your computer. Unauthorized access to your accounts may occur if this crucial information is not properly secured.

6. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), preferably to a mobile device. While email is allowed, mobile is safer- and never share your one-time passcode (OTP).

7. Be cautious of suspicious emails. Fraudsters are adept at imitating legitimate emails. Never open links or attachments in emails you don’t fully trust.

8. Be alert to “spoofed” phone calls. If you don’t recognize the number, think twice about picking up. Scammers can mimic local area codes to get you to answer.

9. Be aware of changes to your normal mail delivery activity. Fraudsters are known to submit a change of address or place a mail hold so you do not see important communications.

10. Contact Voya immediately if you identify suspicious activity on your account. The faster you act, the faster we can mitigate the effects of fraud.

If you have an account with Voya: We will never contact you and ask for personal information by text, email, or an unsolicited phone call. This includes unsolicited calls that ask you to obtain or provide a one-time passcode.

Visit our page on cybersecurity for more tips