Fraud Prevention Tips
Security Notes
Informed and alert consumers assist in the frontline of defense against payment fraud. Access Bank and her partner card schemes (Interswitch, Visa, Valucard) will never send you an e-mail asking for confidential information such as account numbers, passwords, PIN numbers, credit card numbers or social security numbers.
Protect yourself from fraudulent e-mails (phishing) claiming to be from a credit card company, bank’s website or any other website for that matter. Delete unsolicited e-mail or SMS that asks for this type of personal information. If you suspect you've provided confidential information to a fraudulent site or individual, contact the customer service number on the back of your card or from your account statement. You can report e-mail fraud claiming to be from any of our partner card schemes by forwarding the suspicious message to: zambiainfo@accessbankplc.com.
Card Security Tips
- Never write down your Personal Identification Number (PIN)–memorize it!
- Never disclose PIN numbers to anyone.
- When selecting a PIN, do not choose numbers and letters that can be easily identified. Avoid using initials, phone
- numbers or birth dates.
- Make sure you sign your card on the signature panel as soon as you receive it.
- Make a record of card account numbers and telephone numbers for reporting lost or stolen cards. Keep this list in a safe place.
- Make sure your card is returned after every purchase.
- Never give card numbers over the phone, unless you have initiated the call.
- Always verify the transaction amount before signing the sales receipt.
- Always check sales vouchers to verify that the amount on the customer copy of the receipt matches the amount recorded on the merchant copy.
- Know who has access to your cards.
- Do not leave cards in the glove compartment of your car.
- Report lost or stolen cards to your issuing bank immediately.
- Report suspicious activities to your issuing bank.
- Do not use your card to make purchases online on websites you are not sure of its security.
- Some of those websites do not require your PIN for payments to be made from your account.
- Where it is a fraudulent website, your card details can be used to make purchases online.
- Enrol for VbyV so as to minimize the risks of being defrauded.
- Your card is as important as your PIN.
Online Security Tips
- Register for Verified by Visa if you use a Vpay or Visa card..
- Keep user names and passwords secret.
- Use the latest version of your browser's software and check to be sure your computer's operating system software is up to date.
- Use only secure Internet browsers that allow secure transmission of data. Identify security clues such as the 'closed lock' icon at the bottom of the browser or a URL that begins with https://. These signs indicate that only you and the merchant can view payment information.
- Only give card details when you initiate a purchase.
- Keep a record of transactions and review monthly statements thoroughly.
- Before making a purchase, check the site’s delivery and return policies to ensure that items can be returned if they are not in satisfactory condition.
- Never respond to an e-mail request for personal or account information, even if appears to be from a trusted source.
ATM Security Tips
- Be mindful of your surroundings-if the machine is poorly lit or in a secluded area, use another ATM.
- Lock car doors and roll up windows when using drive-through ATMs.
- Do not leave keys or valuables in the car when using an ATM.
- Have your card ready to avoid having to go through your purse or wallet.
- Make sure that no one nearby can view your PIN or transaction amount.
- Do not count cash while standing at an ATM-put your cash, card, and receipt away immediately.
- After completing an ATM transaction, remember to take your card and transaction record-do not leave your receipt behind. Check it against your monthly statements.
- If your card becomes stuck inside an ATM machine, be suspicious of anyone offering their help, even if they appear to be a bank security officer. Do not accept help from strangers.
- Do not ask strangers to help you make withdrawals with your card.
- Do not give your PIN to a stranger to assist you.
- Protect your card and PIN.
Scam Mail Fraud
Did you receive an email asking you for your token, PIN or Internet banking details? Do not respond to the mail as Access Bank will not ask you for such confidential information. Instead forward the mail to our contact centre email address
zambiainfo@accessbankplc.com
Be Security Conscious
- Confirm account balance from an ATM or bank when you receive a credit alert before releasing goods
- Do not respond to any mail requesting for your personal details like Account number, Card details, Token, PIN, etc.
- Access Bank will not request such personal information from you either via mail or phone call.
Internet Banking Websites
Please be informed that fraudsters can gain access to your email account and therefore, have access to your sensitive and confidential information.
They can do this by requesting you to update your personal bank details through several means, including
- Claiming that the bank has launched a new and secure online banking site
- The process is in line with the new CBN cashless policy
- The customers will not be able to log on to their online banking site if they do not migrate to the new one
- They are instructed to click on a link in the email
- They are asked to provide their username, password and a token code
- They emphasize that it is mandatory to enter the token code and most times it is written in CAPITAL letters
Rules of Engagement
We welcome your participation as a means of sharing your own experiences, suggesting improvements, and chiming in on the conversation. To keep our community focused, we have set some guiding principles:
- This Community is moderated and all comments are reviewed by the community management team before being posted.
- To ensure exchanges that are productive, informative, respectful of diverse viewpoints and lawful, we will review all comments and we will NOT post comments that are or include:
- Off Topic: We will exclude comments not related to the subject of the conversation. If you have an idea for a subject, would like to provide feedback, or would like follow-up. Please write to us at zambiainfo@accessbankplc.com
- Spam: Comments focused on selling a product or service, or comments posted for a purpose of driving traffic to a particular website for personal, political, or monetary gain will be excluded.
- Personal Attacks: If you disagree with the content, we would like to hear from you, but ask that you refrain from personal attacks or being disrespectful of others. Malicious intent and or participation not in the spirit of civil conversation will be excluded.
- Illegal: Laws that govern use of copyrights, trade secrets, etc., will be followed.
- Offensive Language: Comments including but not limited to, profane or provocative language will be excluded (which means that hateful, racially or ethnically offensive or derogatory content, threats, obscene or sexually explicit language will not be tolerated).
- Private or Confidential Information: Please do not provide any of your specific account details or other personal information. If you have immediate service needs, please contact the bank representative through our Contact Centre.
- Threatened or Actual Litigation: We will exclude posting comments concerning threatened or actual litigation, or disputes, between you and any other person or entity.
- Please note that we cannot accept comments from individuals under the age of 13. Comments in HTML format (or URLs) will not be accepted. Please only enter plain text.
- Access Bank reserves the right to change these guidelines at any time at its sole discretion. The most current guidelines will be available to you online.
- Access Bank does not endorse any comments made by its employees, unless they are an authorized representative of the Bank. The Bank does not validate assertions or forward-looking statements in the comments. All statements and viewpoints expressed in the comments are strictly those of the “commenter” alone, and do not constitute an official position of the Bank, unless they are posted by the original author (who is an authorized representative of the bank) or by a subject matter expert responding on behalf of that authorized representative.
- Claims of Copyright Infringement: If you believe in good faith that materials available on the Bank’s site infringe your copyright, you (or your agent) may send the Bank a notice requesting us to remove the material or block access to it.
Scam Alert
Access Bank would not require sensitive and confidential information from her customer. Information like token, password, full card details and PINs are private to the customer and would not be requested by Access Bank either via email or telephone.
Some of the features of a genuine Access Bank online page are indicated below:
- The address field is https://zambia.accessbankplc.com/ibank/Internet-Banking/Retail.aspx
- Beside the customer login, there is an icon like a padlock
- As you enter your username and click on submit, you would be asked to enter your password and check your secure image
- Your secure image is the image you selected when you were registering on the online banking platform
- Your token is only required when you are making transfers to third parties within Access Bank or to other banks customers
Travel Security Tips
Before Your Trip
- Contact your card issuing bank and let them know you’ll be traveling so they will not consider the transactions suspicious.
- Check the expiry dates on your cards to make sure they are not due to expire during your trip.
- Check the amount of credit available to you during the trip as well as your account balance if you plan on using your debit card.
- Banks have restrictions on daily withdrawals that apply even when you are abroad. Check with them so you’ll know how much you can take out each day. If you use the ATMs/cash points for pocket money and charge the major expenses, such as hotels, to your payment cards, your withdrawal limit won’t be a problem.
- Make a record of credit card account numbers and telephone numbers for reporting lost or stolen cards. In fact, it’s a good idea to make a copy of everything in your wallet, including credit card numbers, and keep that in a safe place.
- Use a Visa card to purchase your tickets. This will ensure that you have a receipt as proof of purchase in case you lose your tickets or if the trip is cancelled. Check Visa’s currency conversion website to give you an indication of the rate you may receive abroad using your Visa card. In most instances, it may offer a more competitive rate than changing either cash or travellers cheques at bureaux de change or at your hotel.
During Your Trip
- The easiest way to get local currency is through Visa/Plus ATM network machines in 170 countries. Check the arrival and baggage claim areas at international airports for the Visa/Plus ATM signs for easy access to local currency when you arrive in a foreign country or visit the ATM Locator to find an ATM in the city you are visiting.
- If your Visa card is either lost or stolen, Visa is only a phone call away. Visa’s Customer Care Services are as close as the nearest telephone. No need for agents, bureaux or face-to-face reporting. Simply call the toll free (free of charge) number Visa provides in each country and you’re linked to the service. For a full listing of GCAS numbers, click here.
- If your card carries the emergency replacement feature, Visa will replace a lost card while you travel within one working day.
- Never leave cards unattended at work, in the hotel room, at the pool, the tennis courts, or in a vehicle–locked or unlocked.
- Use the safe or security box provided by the hotel for your valuables and do not carry all your valuables with you on tours, to the pool, etc.
- Always keep your sales slip as proof of purchase for customs, as a means of reconciling your account when you get home, and as proof of purchase in case of a dispute. Some merchants can now convert your bill into your home currency. This means the merchant–and not Visa–is converting the currency. As a consumer you may wish to know the exact price in your home currency at the point of sale–but you should also know you may be charged extra for this service by the merchant. Visa requires merchants offering this service to inform you of the exchange rate including any applicable commission being charged.
- Print out or download Visa’s convenient currency exchange rate chart to give you an easy-to-understand reference point for prices when you are getting used to buying things in a different currency.
After Your Trip
Keep your receipts and read your monthly statements carefully. If you see a charge you don’t recognize or if you notice any inconsistencies, contact your credit card provider right away.
Suspect you are a victim of fraud?
Report fraudulent activity:
Call +260 211 227941
zambiainfo@accessbankplc.com
Report fraudulent activity with Online Banking:
Call: +260 211 227941
contactcentregh@ghana.accessbankplc.com
Lost or stolen ATM card
Report lost or stolen ATM card immediately.
Call: +260 211 227941
contactcentregh@ghana.accessbankplc.com
Lost or stolen credit card
Report lost or stolen credit card immediately.
Call: +260 211 227941
zambiainfo@accessbankplc.com
Lost or stolen cheque book
Report lost or stolen cheque book immediately.
Call: +260 211 227941
zambiainfo@accessbankplc.com
If possible, provide the check number for the last check that was written, or the name of the person or business to whom it was written.
You can also contact your nearest Access Bank Branch to report a fraud.
Social Media Guidelines
JOIN THE CONVERSATION…
We welcome your participation as a means of sharing your own experiences, suggesting improvements, and chiming in on the conversation. To keep our community focused, we have set some guiding principles:
- This Community is moderated and all comments are reviewed by the community management team before being posted.
- To ensure exchanges that are productive, informative, respectful of diverse viewpoints and lawful, we will review all comments and we will NOT post comments that are or include:
- Off Topic. We will exclude comments not related to the subject of the conversation. If you have an idea for a subject, would like to provide feedback, or would like follow-up. Please write to us at zambiainfo@accessbankplc.com
- Spam. Comments focused on selling a product or service, or comments posted for a purpose of driving traffic to a particular website for personal, political, or monetary gain will be excluded.
- Personal Attacks. If you disagree with the content, we would like to hear from you, but ask that you refrain from personal attacks or being disrespectful of others. Malicious intent and or participation not in the spirit of civil conversation will be excluded.
- Illegal. Laws that govern use of copyrights, trade secrets, etc., will be followed. Offensive Language. Comments including but not limited to, profane or provocative language will be excluded (which means that hateful, racially or ethnically offensive or derogatory content, threats, obscene or sexually explicit language will not be tolerated).
- Private or Confidential Information. Please do not provide any of your specific account details or other personal information. If you have immediate service needs, please contact the bank representative through our Contact Center.
- Threatened or Actual Litigation. We will exclude posting comments concerning threatened or actual litigation, or disputes, between you and any other person or entity.
- Please note that we cannot accept comments from individuals under the age of 13. Comments in HTML format (or URLs) will not be accepted. Please only enter plain text.
- Access Bank reserves the right to change these guidelines at any time at its sole discretion. The most current guidelines will be available to you online.
- Access Bank does not endorse any comments made by its employees, unless they are an authorized representative of the Bank. The Bank does not validate assertions or forward-looking statements in the comments. All statements and viewpoints expressed in the comments are strictly those of the “commenter” alone, and do not constitute an official position of the Bank, unless they are posted by the original author (who is an authorized representative of the bank) or by a subject matter expert responding on behalf of that authorized representative.
- Claims of Copyright Infringement If you believe in good faith that materials available on the Bank’s site infringe your copyright, you (or your agent) may send the Bank a notice requesting us to remove the material or block access to it.
