The last week of 2010 revealed the shocking episode of a fraudulent Citibank employee who was enriching himself at the expense of the bank's clients. Right at the start of 2011 ask yourself if you and your hard earned money can avoid meeting a similar fate. Here we give you basic tips to help you protect your money this year from fraudsters and scamsters.

 

 

Whatever your bank's relationship manager or insurance agent might say, don't sign blank documents, cheques or forms. Anything you sign on is your responsibility. Filling out forms can take an extra few minutes, but you will be better off.

 

Keep photocopies of documents that you submit. This way you will have a record of what you signed off on, and can then cross check if with your copy if anyone might have forged or changed the details on your submitted documents.

 

 

We are all flooded with post and email and often due to our inertia don't even bother to open mail from important senders like our bank. One must review bank, credit card, EMI statements at least every month to ensure that nothing looks out of the ordinary. This is the best way to detect at the earliest if something is wrong.

 

Where possible, keep the counterfoils and receipts of whenever you use your credit card so you have a record of where you used the card. If you believe that your card is being misused, raise an alarm immediately.

 

 

With the rising popularity of online banking and credit and debit cards, all of us have passwords, PINs, CVV codes and other personal details related to our various accounts. These should be kept confidential at all times. Otherwise, anyone can access your account and you can suffer adverse consequences.

 

Always log off from your online account, especially if it's a public computer you are using. Change your passwords regularly. If you feel your credit or debit card details might have been compromised, request the bank for a new card. Don't give your card details out to third parties over the telephone or on email.

 

 

When dealing with runners or couriers who come to your house to pick up or drop off documents, always ask for an official ID so that you know you are dealing with an authorized representative and not just a scamster.

 

Don't respond to emails soliciting your business or money. History has shown that most of these are scams. Call your bank in case of any doubt.