Online transactions like sending money to your loved ones play a vital role in our society nowadays, especially that we are continuously undergoing growth that leads everyone to partake in innovations.
Furthermore, it can be worrisome to use an online service to send money to your loved ones. You want to ensure that your money reaches its destination safely and that your personal information is not compromised, such as your bank account or address.
We are at a moment where it is increasingly pointless to try to avoid doing financial transactions online, despite the occasional disastrous Internet-wide security issues. Below are some ideas that will guarantee your sense of security when sending money online.
Make your Devices Safe
Before anything else, you have to make sure your devices are secure. Initially, make sure that the operating system and all programs or devices involved in a financial transaction are up-to-date.
When you’re confident you’re on the new version of your operating system and browser, which you can normally easily find out somewhere in the settings menu of your browser, you’re ready to move forward.
Furthermore, some malware can extract your personal information, including your bank account number, so make sure to do a security scan to get rid of any malicious software before using your computer to send money.
Know the Red Flags
To avoid the risk of getting scammed online, you need to know some of its warnings. Here are some red flags that typically display a scam or lack of adequate protection.
When you’re using a browser, the first thing you need to check is if the money transfer website is encrypted. To spot this, you need to look for the “HTTPS” at the beginning of the URL. Look for any feedback from individuals who use the website, too.
Furthermore, you need to seek legitimacy from anyone who asks you for money, saying they need help or they are in some sort of trouble. Also, watch out for an email or message pretending to be your family or friend requesting help. Always be mindful and on-guard before you click that send button.
Set a Strong Password
Password theft is one of the most well-known ways of fraud when sending money online. To undermine financial stability, people use this kind of trick, which is troublesome for us all. But, securing a good password is one of the things to counter this.
We suggest that you pick the most complex password you could ever think of for your bank account and remittance account. It’s very common to use your birthdate for your password, so avoid using that. Use a mix of letters in upper and lower case, as well as symbols and numbers. It is easier to have longer passwords, so keep that in mind.
Other Means of Security
Assuming you have a strong password, on whatever platform you are using, the next move is to introduce some form of two-factor authentication. This way, using an SMS or email-based security code, you would have to validate some logins.
It serves two purposes: it increases the entry barrier to your account, and it also lets you know if anyone is attempting to access your account. If you get a two-factor prompt when you’re not trying to log in, then that’s a pretty good indicator that it’s time for your device to check for protection and change your password.
Also, the last thing to do is to use some form of transaction guarantors such as Verified-By-Visa or 3D Safe before the transaction can go through, which would require another one-time password from you.
Send Only to People you Know
It is easy to send Flow top-up to your friends and family who live abroad, of course. Internet scams are very prevalent, however, and mostly involve transferring money to an unknown entity.
It’s most definitely a scam if you meet someone on the Internet or receive a mysterious email asking you to wire money to them. A reasonable rule of thumb is to send money only to individuals whom you know personally.
Keep the Receipts
Always save your receipts from transactions with online money transfers. You will be able to use them as evidence of payment if anything goes wrong, and the problem will be resolved much quicker.
Takeaway
As the world changes, new means of doing things do, too, like grocery shopping and all that. In a world that ever-changing, it is normal to worry about the what-ifs, especially if it involves money.
Furthermore, sending money online is still a challenge because there are a lot of things going on behind what we see. Still, you just need to be cautious about what you’re doing online. For you to be more at ease, you can use the above list as a precaution.
