Data breaches a reminder to review security settings

ANZ New Zealand (ANZ NZ) is reassuring customers affected by recent data breaches that their banking information remains secure, and reminding everyone to remain vigilant.

“Having your personal information accessed can be stressful and concerning,” says Alan Thomsen, ANZ NZ’s Head of Customer Protection.

“We understand people may have concerns about the safety of their banking information; we want to reassure them ANZ’s banking information remains secure. Our systems have not been affected by this incident, and we continue to monitor banking activity closely.”

ANZ NZ has a variety of methods to verify the identity of customers when people contact the bank.

Despite this it is important to stay vigilant, review security settings, and take actions to help safeguard your bank accounts.

“The type of personal information typically obtained in a data breach, such as identity and contact details, could be used by scammers as the starting point for an attempt to scam or defraud customers,” Mr Thomsen says.

“Scammers will use any opportunity to trick you, so people should be wary of unexpected contact from someone claiming to be from their bank, especially if they ask you to do something to protect your account or transfer money.

“We encourage customers to check they have taken all the steps they can to help safeguard their online security.”

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts by requiring a second form of verification.

Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Avoid reusing passwords across different websites. Consider using a password manager to help you create and store secure passwords.

Monitor Your Accounts Regularly: Keep an eye out for any unusual activity and report anything suspicious to us immediately.

If a customer thinks their bank account number has been compromised they should contact their bank immediately; change their passwords, and enable two factor authentication.

ANZ NZ also encourages customers to be cautious with links and attachments in emails and text messages. This could be a scammer attempting to steal data or install malware.

Only shop online at places you trust and beware of online sites you’ve never heard of.

Be cautious with public WiFi – don’t make payments, access online banking or do anything personal when using public WiFi as it may not be secure. Use a mobile or device data plan instead.

Manage your social media profiles - be careful with how much you share on social media. Fraudsters can use what you share to impersonate you. Be cautious about interacting with people you don’t know and check your privacy settings regularly to make sure you aren’t sharing more information than you’re comfortable with.

Remote access – do not give remote access to your mobile, device or computer to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. The software that fraudsters ask you to download can be used to monitor and capture your personal and bank login details.

If customers notice anything that seems suspicious they should contact us immediately.

For more information go here.