Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Economy

Your bank wants your voice. Just say no.

You already gave your bank your address, date of birth, Social Security number and your mother’s maiden name. Now, they want your voice.

Banks say it’s an extra layer of biometric protection against fraud and cybercrime. But with the rise of hackers stealing voice data for deepfakes, is it worth the risk?

You need a vacation. We’re giving away a $1,000 getaway gift card for your favorite airline. Enter to win now!

The identity arms race

No matter how much money you have in the bank, a hacker or scammer wants it — and they’re always one step ahead.

If you’re skeptical of your bank having your voice data on record, you’re not crazy — you’re smart. A voice can be cloned using AI with as little as 10 seconds of audio and a few bucks.

Call your bank’s customer service line and . It takes two minutes. If you can do it now, great. If you can’t, I highly recommend you set a reminder to do it later. This is important.

Scammers have been known to plant fake numbers in search results. Don’t just Google search the name of your bank and call that number. Go directly to your bank’s website or call the number on the back of your debit or credit card.

Go a step further

Because you’re smart, you use strong unique passwords, you enable 2FA, you don’t bank on public Wi-Fi, and you always monitor your accounts. (More on all that below if you need help.)

But it might be worth a phone call or trip to your local bank branch to ask if they offer extra security features. Popular options include:

This physical or digital device generates one-time passcodes that are usually only good for 30 seconds for safer online banking.

Set up text or email notifications for real-time account activities, such as large transactions or account changes. It’s a bit of a pain when you have to approve all your charges, but it has saved me from scams and phony charges.

Many banks offer options to automatically lock your account after a certain number of failed online login attempts.

: This is enhanced security for certain activities using additional verification steps. For example, Morgan Stanley asks me for a one-time passcode if I log in at a new location.

Get your banking security up to par

Maybe you need to get the basics in order first. That’s OK, and it’s definitely not too late to take a couple smart steps.

Turn on two-factor authentication so only you can access your accounts. 

With 2FA enabled, a secondary form of verification is required to prove your identity instead of just entering your username and password to log in to an account.

The second form of verification can be something only you know (an answer to a question), something you have (your device), or who you are (a fingerprint, voice pattern or facial scan). You enter the temporary code, and voila — you’re in. 

 An authenticator app. Biometrics (your face or fingerprint scan) are a close runner-up. A text code is the most hackable.

Only log onto your bank from a network you can trust.

Looking at you, random coffee shop Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi networks do little to nothing to protect your privacy. Cybercriminals know this and use free Wi-Fi networks to find victims. Malware, phony hotspots, unsecured networks and nefarious passers-by might all be able to cut in, compromising your data and account.

If you connect to public Wi-Fi without taking precautions, thieves can steal login credentials to any account you sign into while on the network, including your bank accounts.

If you must connect to free public Wi-Fi, don’t do it without a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN allows you to browse the internet while encrypting your sensitive information. This helps hide your online credentials and IP address. 

I use ExpressVPN, a sponsor of my national radio show.

Now, help me get the word out. Share this story with friends and family to keep them safe before the tsunami of voice-cloning scams hits. They’re coming.

Get tech-smarter on your schedule

Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.

National radio: Airing on 500+ stations across the US – Find yours
Daily newsletter: 5-minute tech updates delivered to your inbox (free!)
Watch: On Kim’s YouTube channel
Podcast: ‘Kim Komando Today’ – Listen wherever you get podcasts

Copyright 2024, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.
Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

You May Also Like

Stock

Boeing’s spaceflight program may reach a significant milestone Monday night with the launch of its Starliner spacecraft, carrying — at long last — two...

Investing

Arcade chain Dave and Buster’s plan to allow customer betting isn’t winning over everyone. Software company Lucra Sports announced on Tuesday that it was working with...

Top News

It appears increasingly possible that Donald Trump could face actual jail time before we ever get a verdict in any of his four criminal...

Investing

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump failed to impress everyone in a room full of top CEOs Thursday at the Business Roundtable’s quarterly meeting, multiple attendees told...

Disclaimer: InvestorsOnRetire.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively "The Company") do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

Copyright © 2024 InvestorsOnRetire. All Rights Reserved.