Protecting Financial Accounts From Scams and Fraud with John Buzzard

Easy Prey

Thieves used to rob banks and steal physical money, but in a digital world, it is much easier to sit behind a keyboard and deceive you into giving it to them. Fortunately, there are specific things you can do to protect your finances before scammers get into your accounts.

Today’s guest is John Buzzard. John is a nationally recognized financial industry fraud expert who has delivered significant influence in credit card fraud, risk, and security services for financial institutions throughout the United States.

Show Notes:

• [0:56] - John shares his background and what he does currently in the financial industry fraud space.
• [2:31] - Everything old is new again. Things come back in a cyclical fashion but have a new digital spin.
• [3:49] - There’s a price to pay for convenience especially if we don’t keep an eye on things and be aware of what can go wrong.
• [5:19] - Be conscious of where you bank and make purchases.
• [7:46] - Set up alerts so any activity in your bank accounts, including deposits, is made known.
• [11:34] - There are different viewpoints on freezing your credit.
• [17:15] - There are some capabilities in apps that can block certain types of activity.
• [20:35] - During and post-Covid, we have gotten into a “tap and go” contactless experience when making purchases.
• [22:20] - New payment techniques are safe. John discusses Apple Pay as something secure that he likes to use for safety and convenience.
• [25:40] - John explains card chips and what happens when they aren’t working.
• [27:59] - If there is fraud, it is handled differently if it is a chip transaction or a mag swipe.
• [31:01] - John shares an experience in wanting to create a new PIN for an account.
• [33:39] - What shouldn’t you share on social media to help prevent scams and fraud?
• [37:54] - When you have a complete stranger reaching out to you, no matter how they do it, they’re job is to get you disturbed and upset so that you react.
• [40:24] - Speaking in passcodes and passphrases is totally acceptable. That is often the thing a criminal does not have, even if they have your password.
• [44:16] - From a resolution standpoint, when you go to your financial services provider, as a consumer you do have rights.

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