Financial advisor explains how to protect your personal information

Financial advisor explains how to protect your personal information

A former employee with the "dekalb jackson water district" is charged with three counts of credit card fraud and identity theft.

Jessica hosch is accused of using customers' credit and debit card numbers to make online purchases.

Waay 31's grace campbell shares with us how you can keep your personal information safe when paying bills.

If you're nervous to enter your credit card information online, you can always go back to the basics and pay your bills by sending in a check.

A financial advisor with the welch group says paying your bills online is practically risk free, but he does note that unfortunately, nothing is 100% risk free.

Pkg: reagan white, welch group financial advisor: "i would say, it's probably going to be a small, small risk out there to do things like this, but if you think that small amount of risk isn't worth it, then i think going into a more traditional, you know, paying your bills through checks is still an option that a lot of people are doing today."

A welch group financial advisor, reagan white, says red flags should be going off if a bill pay service is asking you to email them your account numbers or any personal information.

Another thing white suggests is to pay your bills with a credit card instead of a debit card.

"if there was some fraudulent claim or withdrawal from your credit card, you could challenge that with your credit card company and they would probably, most likely, have to eat those loses."

You may never get the money back if someone compromises your debit card.

Keeping consistent tabs on your spendings is a way to know if some fraudulent charges come up.

You should freeze and cancel your credit or debit card if they do.

"i think with anytime your information's been stolen, that may be a time to update your passwords on these online accounts and things like that because you just never know if they've got one of your information, or they get a password reporting in huntsville, grace campbell, waay 31 news the dekalb county sheriff's office is asking you to check your bank statement if you're a customer of the dekalb jackson