Would love to shop on eBay; however, you are terrified to use your checking account or a credit card? You hear horror stories of people who have lost thousands of dollars when they discover their checking accounts are emptied. Back in the early 1990’s, all you needed to do was make sure that you were not followed by a skulking fellow while you pulled your cash from a well lit ATM machine and that you shredded credit card receipts, right? Oh, things were so much simpler back then. Tellers greeted us by name; we did not have to put thumbprints on checks. Today, the task of banking security seems daunting. A thief does not need a physical check or card, anymore.

I logged onto my internet banking account, the other day to transfer funds to a savings account with another bank. This was a new service and I was glad that I did not have to put on my clothes and make-up, get in my car and then drive down to the bank to stand in line for a simple two minute process. As I went through a series of security questions in preparation, I was stunned at how much knowledge the bank had of my life and the people around me: such as ; what month was person x born in; did person y currently live at 123 address and was z person between this and that years of age. I’m thinking…,”Where could they possibly get all of this information?” Is this the FBI? Do they have every minute detail of my life spun down into cells in a database somewhere on the internet? Is yours there, too? It would seem that the convenience of banking online has allowed us to grant access to almost every intimate detail of our lives to these agencies.

Therefore, we have two sides of a rather daunting task, the security of your money and the convenience of access. On one hand, it is nice not to have to wait at the mailbox for your check on payday and then drive to the bank, stand in line or wait in your car and deposit your check. Oh, and then, you have to sit down and pay each and every bill by handwriting a check, putting it with the matching bill stub and then sealing the envelope with an address as well as a stamp. Can you imagine that people used to do this monthly?

Two sides to the same coin-the complicated future of the information highway that requires banking security to have most of our personal information recorded in impersonal databases or an uncomplicated past where we must meet the world and remove our curlers and house slippers. It is a tough choice we face; however, this author would not change it. Being able to pay every single bill on a Saturday morning, in the course of an hour, while drinking coffee in my favorite chair-it is almost painless.

If you do feel that you have been “scammed online” or that you may be in danger of identity theft, a few organizations can help. The below mentioned organization does not charge you and is a good place to report your problems to as they also keep other consumers informed of potential issues. Also, please be sure to talk with your bank. In some cases, the bank can refund your money.

Organization that can help with banking security:
http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm — Yes this is the FBI and do not be nervous! These are the good guys! They can help!

or check out Managed PC Care…. for all your Banking Security needs!

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