Having your bank account information stolen can be a frightening experience. If you suspect that someone has accessed and used your financial account, here are three things you need to do to protect yourself from continued attacks.
1. Contact Your Bank
The fraud department of your bank exists for situations like this. Contact them as soon as you notice your card is missing or if there are unfamiliar charges on your account. Your bank card and possibly your entire account are then frozen, preventing further access from the unauthorized party. Any charges made get investigated. If a large amount of money is missing, this is a more severe crime. Sometimes cases like these go to court, where a bank expert witness can testify on your behalf to get your money back.
2. Notify the Credit Bureaus
Setting up a fraud alert with the three credit bureaus is essential because once your information is stolen, it’s impossible to determine what someone wants to do with it. They can keep your data for a long time and use it in the future to open credit accounts in your name. By putting an alert on your credit, you know when someone tries to access your account. Requiring authorization to access your credit prevents anyone was using it without your knowledge.
3. Enroll With a Fraud Protection Company
There are many options when it comes to fraud and identity theft protection. In this electronic age, it’s challenging to protect your information online. Enrolling in these programs provides security of your personal information and prevents future attacks.
Having your personal banking information stolen is a risk of having online accounts. If you notice unauthorized activity on your account or have lost your credit card, contact your bank and credit bureaus right away. A good option is to protect yourself from future incidences by enrolling in a monitoring service.
