Courtesy of American Bankers Association
Phishing is a new twist on an old telemarketing scam, but uses email. These criminals send emails to millions of people hoping that even a few will give away valuable information. Consumer education is a powerful weapon in the fight against phishing.
To help you avoid becoming the victim of a phishing scam, we are offering the following tips:
• Instead of clicking a link claiming to be from your financial institution, type their web address into your browser.
• Never give out your personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax or email, no matter how official it may seem.
• Do not respond to email that may warn of dire consequences unless you validate your information immediately. Contact the company to confirm the email’s validity using a telephone number or web address you know to be genuine.
• Check your credit card and bank account statements regularly and look for unauthorized transactions, even small ones. Some thieves hope small transactions will go unnoticed. Report discrepancies immediately.
• When submitting financial information online, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom of your Internet browser. Most secure Internet addresses, though not all, use “https”.
• Report suspicious activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.
• If you have responded to an email, contact your bank immediately so they can protect your account and your identity.
For more information on phishing, visit the following: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Anti-Phishing Working Group, the National Consumers League, the OCC Consumer Protection News and the OCC Consumer Complaints and Assistance website.
For security information from Bank of American Fork, visit www.bankaf.com/security .
