With the rise of e-commerce, mobile payments and online banking, it’s more important than ever to keep an eye on your financial accounts for possible fraud. Check your bank and credit card statements to make sure there’s nothing amiss.

Most organizations – banks, universities, companies, etc. – don’t ask for your personal information over email. Do not reveal personally identifiable information online such as your full name, telephone number, address, social security number, insurance policy number, credit card information, or doctor’s name. Avoid opening attachments, clicking on links, or responding to email messages from […]

The computers available at libraries, college campuses and other public locations are convenient resources for low-risk activities like browsing the web or collaborating on documents. They’re less great for conducting activities like online banking or shopping, since you can’t be sure they’re 100 percent secure. Stick to your own devices and networks for these transactions.

To minimize the potential damage of an attacker gaining access to your credit card information, consider opening a credit card account for use only online. Keep a minimum credit line on the account to limit the amount of charges a possible attacker can accumulate.

Review your banking, credit card, or payment service statements regularly to ensure there are no unauthorized charges or withdrawals. Be sure to shred bank and credit card statements before throwing them in the trash; talk to your bank about using passwords and photo identification on credit cards and bank accounts.

Online banking is a very convenient service for millions of account holders. At the same time, it needs to be handled with care.