Digital banking is a safe and convenient way to manage your money, but there are still precautions you need to take to help prevent fraud and keep your accounts secure.
To help you safeguard your money, we created this handy checklist. When you know what to look for, it's as easy as locking the door to your home or car.
Latest scam alert
Scammers claiming to be from Great Southern Bank are calling customers to request personal information over the phone. Please be aware that we will never ask you to share your online banking password, or any other personal information, over the phone.
Top tips to stay safe:
- If you're not confident that you are speaking to a Great Southern Bank team member, hang up and call 133 282.
- Don't click links or download apps or programs which seem unfamiliar or suspicious.
- If you believe you have accidentally shared information with a scammer, lock your online banking and contact us immediately.
Simple steps for safe and secure digital banking.
Passwords and PINs
- Memorise your PIN.
- Choose a password that is a mix of letters and numbers.
- Change your online banking password on a regular basis.
- Never write your PIN down or share it with anyone (no matter how much you trust them).
- Avoid making your PIN or password something easy to guess such as your date of birth or child’s name.
Handy tip: When choosing a password, using a letter or number from a phrase or line from a song such as 2bORx2B makes your password easy to remember but difficult for other people to guess.
Computers
- Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer and keep it up-to date.
- Avoid installing pirated software. It’s a common way of tricking you into installing malicious software onto your computer.
Helpful Tip: Updating your software is one of the simplest ways to keep your computer secure. Don’t ignore those notifications. You can set up automatic software updates if you're likely to forget.
Phones and mobile devices
- Keep your phone updated so you are using the latest operating software.
- Use your phone data (not public Wi-Fi) when using online and mobile banking apps.
- Keep track of your phone by installing Apple’s Find my iPhone or Google’s device manager for Android. If your phone is lost or stolen, you’ll be able to locate it and wipe the data if it falls into the wrong hands.
- Lock your mobile device when you're not using it.
- Only install apps from official stores, such as Apple's App Store or Android’s Google Play and check the terms and conditions before you download an app.
- Review your privacy permissions for each app so you know what apps have access to your information. You can do this under the ‘Privacy’ or ‘Apps Permissions’ menus in your phone’s settings.
- Avoid removing hardware restrictions (called rooting on Android and jailbreaking on Apple) on your mobile device. This weakens the in-built security protection, leaving your phone susceptible to malicious software and viruses.
Important info: If your mobile phone is lost or stolen call us on 133 282 as soon as possible. We will disable any online banking SMS codes and take steps to help keep your online and mobile banking secure.
Online shopping
- When making a payment or shopping online make sure the website address starts with ‘https://', which indicates a secure online shopping environment.
Handy tip: Look for a padlock symbol in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Email and social media
- Never open links to webpages you don’t recognise, or links sent to you by people you don’t know. Malicious websites can install malware on your device when you visit the link.
- Be scam savvy; the best way to avoid falling victim to fraud is to know how spot it, block it, and report it.
Very useful advice: We will never contact you and ask for your PIN, or online banking password. If you receive an email requesting this information, don’t click on the links or reply. Please take a screen shot of this email and send to us at fraud.prevention@gsb.com.au.
Learn more about email hoaxes and how to avoid them.
Using online and mobile banking
- Always type Great Southern Bank’s web address (www.greatsouthernbank.com.au) into your browser when using online banking.
- Regularly check your account balances and immediately report any discrepancies to us.
- Set-up notifications to let you know when a transaction is made on your account.
- Always log out from your online banking session when you’ve finished and remember to close your browser.
- Never use an online banking link that has been sent to you by email.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi when using online and mobile banking, use your phone data or home internet connection.
Did you know? With online banking you can access a number of useful features such as locking your debit card if you misplace it, account notifications, and setting up security questions so you can reset your WAC quickly and easily. Simply go to the ‘services’ section in online banking for an extra level of security.
Log in to online banking to set-up your security features today.