Recently, one of our members received an email message, which appeared to be a warning from PayPal that a fraudulent charge was made on her account. Believing that it was real, she responded with information that allowed the hacker to get into her computer remotely and access her bank account. Other confidential information such as her Subud email contacts or passwords could have been collected.
She was finally able to get tech support to shut down the hacker’s access, but it was a very frightening experience that is still unfolding. This incident highlights that hackers are very sophisticated and we all need to be vigilant.
Here is a reminder of some safety measures:
* Hackers masquerade as trusted institutions. Do not respond to email or social media messages seeming to come from your bank, PayPal, or credit card company by clicking on a link or calling a number given. Instead, use the numbers and email addresses you have from statements sent to you by your service provider to contact them directly.
* PayPal is used for donations to Subud California, so we want to be sure you have their contact information. Reach PayPal online at paypal.com or by phone at 402-935-2050 or 888-221-1161
* Enable 2-Step Verification (example HERE) for logging on to all your financial accounts including your banks, credit cards, and systems such as Paypal or Square.
* Consider removing bank accounts from services such as Paypal or Square and using one credit card solely for such services. By law, credit card companies must handle and cancel unauthorized transactions reported to them; there is less recourse for recovering money from a bank account.
* Use unique passwords for financial accounts and change frequently. Consider using a secure password manager (example HERE).
If you can suggest other safety procedures, please post them to our website HERE and we will share them. Thank you!