Barclays Bank introduces fraud campaign

Correspondent | Thursday July 20, 2017 15:40

Chief risk officer, Jeffrey Davis said: “As Barclays Bank of Botswana, we remain committed to providing excellent and secure services, while also sensitising our customers on suspicious behaviour and bogus devices used at public service stations and in communal areas. We encourage our customers to take the necessary precautions when transacting both online and at ATMs. Technology does empower us to bank, shop and connect on the go; however, it requires users to be more vigilant. As a first rule of caution, we advise customers to never accept requests to share their banking details via email, telephone calls or mobile SMS, as this is a common method scammers use.”

Key tips for debit and credit cardholders include:

Upon receipt of your card, sign it

Always keep your cards in a safe place

If you are in a shop, restaurant, petrol station or bar, never let anyone take your card to process a transaction out of your view

Avoid handing over your card to another user

 

Additionally, there are some important guidelines to keep  in mind when transacting online:

Use a computer, laptop or mobile device protected with up-to-date security software

Avoid entering your card details on shared or public computers

Know who you are buying from before giving card details online or over the phone

Register for SMS alert so that you benefit from the Verified by Visa security function

Only enter your card details on secure sites. Check that the browser address begins with ‘https’ and that there is an unbroken padlock symbol in the browser address bar.

Always log out after shopping and save the confirmation email as a record of your purchase.

Finally, we would like to inform the public of the preventative measures to take when travelling abroad. These include:

Inform your bank 24 hours before you travel that you are travelling abroad

Consider giving the bank an indemnity for taking instruction via the phone

Take note of our 24 hour emergency number 00267 3159575

Take another card or alternative payment method so that you are not reliant on one card

Check information on your sales voucher before you sign or enter your PIN

Keep a copy of your sales receipt and check your statement carefully when you get it back

Duduetsang Chappelle- Molloy

Head of Marketing and Corporate Relations

Barclays Bank of Botswana