Protect it

Today's life for virtually all of us is traversing new twists and turns. We are using the Internet more and more for paying bills and other financial transactions. Shopping by keyboard and mouse is catching up to mall purchases.

And with every growth, every new avenue of the electronic age, there are hordes of fast buck artists itching to get into our pocketbooks.

We need to be as vigilant with the computer as we are with our wallets and purses.

Conway-based Home Bancshares, parent of First State Bank, compiled these timely bits of advice:

Never provide personal information like full social Security numbers and bank account or credit information over the phone unless you initiated the call and know with whom you are talking. Ditto for e-mails.

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Safeguard your ATM, credit and debit cards.

Memorize personal identification numbers (PIN). Don't write them or Social Security or credit card numbers where they may be found.

If you are assigned a PIN number, immediately change it to a number of your choice.

Don't use easily identifiable numbers like birth dates, addresses, phone numbers or social Security numbers when choosing a PIN.

Store cancelled checks, new checks and account statements in a safe place.

Tear up or shred those unauthorized "pre-approved" credit card offers that come in the mail.

If you lose checks, credit cards, debit cards or ATM cards or if they are stolen, don't wait. Report them immediately.

From a major credit card company come these additional tips:

Watch a clerk putting your credit card into a reader. Sometimes it doesn't take on the first swipe. But if the clerk keys in something then swipes the card again, that's a red flag.

Keep credit card receipts - all of them.

A common practice in restaurants large and small is the server telling you, "I'll be your cashier when you are ready." You hand over a credit card, and it is out of sight for a few minutes. Here's another red flag, although this is the accepted practice today in eateries. Make a note of the server's name, usually just a first name, if it's not on the receipt.

Check your credit card and debit card statements closely. Many crooks put through small amounts in hopes they'll go unnoticed by a busy person when large fraudulent charges would be caught.

Be extra cautious in making credit card transactions with someone you don't know, whether by Internet, by phone or in person. Traveling? Consider getting cash from an ATM for your minor spending, meals included.

If you have several credit cards, don't carry all of them with you.

Many businesses and institutions are getting away using Social Security numbers in identifying customers and clients. Others list only the last four numbers in e-mails and other documents, including receipts. If you open an account with a retailer, think carefully about giving out that Social Security number.

Insist on your driver's license for identification use. A clerk should not get your Social Security number or a credit card number to write on a check you offer.

Even if you follow all these tips diligently, thieves may still attack. But you'll be reducing the odds more in your favor.