Check fraud is a type of identity theft that occurs when someone steals your checkbook or check information and uses it to make unauthorized purchases or withdrawals from your bank account. Check fraud can be a costly and time-consuming crime to deal with, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself, such as using online bill pay.
Online bill pay is a convenient and secure way to pay your bills. It allows you to schedule and send payments to your creditors electronically, without having to write and mail paper checks.
Here are some of the benefits of using online bill pay to avoid check fraud:
- Security: Online bill pay is more secure than paying bills with paper checks. Your financial information is encrypted when you send payments online, which makes it difficult for scammers to steal it.
- Convenience: Online bill pay is convenient. You can schedule and send payments from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Control: Online bill pay gives you more control over your finances. You can see a list of all your upcoming bills and payments, and you can easily make changes to your schedule.
If you're not already using online bill pay, here are a few tips for getting started:
- Find the Bill Pay tab in I-banking. Log into I-banking online, or in the app and find Bill Pay in the menu.
- Add your bills. Once you're enrolled in online bill pay, you need to add your bills to your account. This is usually a simple process. You can enter your bill information manually, or you can import it from your bank statement.
- Schedule your payments. Once your bills are added, you can schedule your payments. You can choose to make payments one-time, or you can set up recurring payments.
- Review your account regularly. It's important to review your online bill pay account regularly to make sure that your bills are being paid on time and that there are no unauthorized charges.
Using online bill pay is a great way to protect yourself from check fraud. It's convenient, secure, and gives you more control over your finances.