Fraud & Identity Theft Protection

"Hi, this is Doug Benson on behalf of Expert Village. I'm going to show you how to balance your checkbook and as a result become a better manager of household finances. In an earlier clip we talked about how to spot errors. These errors were based on small mistakes or transposed numbers and were easily corrected. There is another possibility that if you see transactions on your bank statements that you don't recognize that your account or your identity may have been compromised. Identity theft is a very rapidly growing crime and we should take precautions to keep information private. Never give out your passwords for debit cards or online banking. Be diligent by accessing your online accounts frequently and if you use a public computer such as your workplace or at the library. Be certain that you always log out of your account before you walk away. If you do see transactions that you know they are not yours call your bank immediately. They can help you get a resolution and stop future fraud attempts. In many cases fraudulent bank activity can be reversed but you should start by calling the financial institution where you do your banking and make and inquiry about the suspect transactions. Again be diligent and stay on top of your banking activity and be aware of transactions that should be happening so that you can spot those that shouldn't. Watch my next segment as we continue to learn more about balancing your checkbook and becoming a better manager of household finances."