Page 12 - AAA Now! – AAA Shelby County – March/April 2021

FINANCIAL SERVICES
HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR RISK OF IDENTITY THEFT
While there’s no guarantee that you will not experience identity theft, there are things you can do to minimize your risk of becoming a victim. Get started with these 10 tips:
Don’t share your personal information
Identity thieves are known for impersonating real businesses, including collection agencies, banks, and charities to gather insensitive data. If you get
a call, email, or document in the mail that seems suspicious, thoroughly review it before responding.
Use Click Sense
Always give email sender addresses a close
look. Identity thieves often duplicate emails from companies or contacts you know. If you get an email and it looks suspicious or asks for an unusual action, don’t open it. To avoid viruses, malware, or phishing scams, hold your mouse cursor over the URL address to see where the link will direct you.
If you do click on the link and it turns out to be fraudulent, let the legitimate company know so they can warn other consumers.
Create strong passwords
Your passwords are your first line of defense against identity theft. To make your passwords hard to crack, make them long and complex. Also, don’t duplicate login credentials across sites because
if one gets stolen, fraudsters will have access to multiple accounts. To make password management more manageable, consider a service. With a
password manager, you only have to remember a single master key to access your account instead of multiple logins across different sites.
Take advantage of two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection to your online accounts. Most websites and apps offer two-factor authentication. To activate it, when you sign into your account, you receive a one-time code on your mobile phone or computer. Once you get it, you enter the code to verify your identity and get access to your account.
Only sign on to secure Wi-Fi sites
Practicing safe Wi-Fi habits can help keep your identity secure in public spaces. Fraudsters often
set up free Wi-Fi networks and use them to seal information from joiners. Use trusted and secure Wi- Fi when away from your home or work network.
Update your social media settings
Keep your location data and personal details. Set your privacy settings to “friends” or “private.” Also, make sure no personal information, like your driver’s license or credit card details, are in any of the photos you post.
Set up alerts
When you enroll in ProtectMyID, you unlock monitoring features that will keep an eye on your personal information and let you know if signs of fraud are found.
Get your credit score
At least annually, access your annual credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. It’s free, and you can review your report from all three major bureaus: Experian®, TransUnion® and Equifax®. If you spot anything suspicious or wrong, notify your lender and the credit bureau.
Shop safely
Buying goods and services online is convenient, but it can be a place for thieves to steal your data. Always look for “HTTPS” in a website’s URL to help protect your credit card number, and avoid using debit cards when you shop online. Credit cards provide greater protection for fraudulent charges, and unlike debit cards, they are not linked to your bank account.
Try ProtectMyID, fueled by Experian. Here are four reasons why:
1. ProtectMyID is an exclusive AAA member benefit. 2. ProtecMyID gives you the identity protection and
peace of mind you need.
3. ProtectMyID includes powerful features, including
Social Security Monitoring, Real-Time Identity Alerts, CreditLock, Fraud Resolution Support and more.
4. If identity theft occurs, you don’t have to deal with it alone.
To learn more and sign up today, visit
AAA.com.IDTheft.
Banking at a Branch Could Be Costing You Time & Money
Every year more people are managing their finances with online or mobile banking solutions rather than going to a physical bank location. Here
are just a few reasons why banking with a brick-and- mortar branch could be costing you time & money:
Extra Time Spent – Having to go to a bank to manage your finances comes with extra steps
that ends up costing valuable time. Driving to
the branch, waiting in line or sitting at a drive-up window are time-consuming and could be avoided with online banking.
Lower Annual Percentage Yield – APYs at banks with many brick-and-mortar branches tend to be lower than online banks. This is because paying to build, staff, maintain and operate branch locations involves expense.
Less Flexibility – You don’t need to deal with the hassles of branches when the essentials of online banking, mobile banking and 24/7 customer service are right at your fingertips.
Enjoy convenience and high returns when you switch to an online bank. Save smarter this year with help from Discover Bank® – the only bank
that offers preferred member APYs on select products to AAA members. Open an account using invitation code: AAAGRATE20. To learn more about savings, money market and CD accounts, call 1.800.347.7056. Or go to our website at AAA.com. Click on the FINANCIAL SERVICES tab at the top of the page, then click on SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.
Discover Bank, Member FDIC
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MARCH/APRIL 2021