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Don't Get Lured into a
Phishing Scam |
| Con artists now use email to try to hijack your personal financial
information. In a scam known as "phishing", swindlers claim to
be from a reputable company and send out thousands of fake email
in hopes that consumers will respond with bank account information,
credit card numbers, passwords, or other sensitive information. |
| These emails can look quite convincing, with company logos
and banners copied from actual Web sites. Often, they will tell
you that their security procedure has changed or that they need
to update (or validate) your information, and then direct you
to a look-alike Web site. If you respond, the thieves use your
information to order goods and services or obtain credit. |
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| Consumer Tips |
| To avoid becoming a victim of a phishing scam,
the American Bankers Association offers these tips: |
- Never give out your personal 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 to a
Web site, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom
of your browser, and make sure the Internet address begins
with "https". This signals that your information is secure
during transmission.
- 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 information on identity theft, visit ABA's
Consumer Connection.
- For more information on phishing , visit
the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal
Trade Commission, Anti-Phishing
Working Group, or the OCC
Consumer Protection News.
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