Guard Your Data

Internet scammers casting about for people’s financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting victims: they go “phishing.” Phishing, also called “carding,” is a high-tech scam that uses spam to deceive consumers into disclosing their credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, and other sensitive information.

Take a minute to view the FDIC online multimedia presentation on identity theft and steps to protect your finances.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the emails pretend to be from businesses that potential victims deal with such as their Internet service provider (ISP), online payment service or bank. The fraudsters tell recipients that they need to “update” or “validate” their billing information to keep their accounts active, and direct them to a “look-alike” website of the legitimate business, further tricking consumers into thinking they are responding to a bona fide request. Unknowingly, consumers submit their financial information – not to the businesses – but the scammers, who use it to order good and services and obtain credit.

To avoid getting caught by one of these scams, the FTC, the nation’s consumer protection agency, offers this guidance:

• If you get an email that warns you, with little or no notice, that an account of yours will be shut down unless you reconfirm your billing information, do not reply or click on the link in the email. Instead, contact the company cited in the email using a telephone number or website address you know to be genuine.
• Avoid emailing personal and financial information. Before submitting financial information through a website, look for the “lock” icon on the browser’s status bar. It signals that your information is secure during transmission.
• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
• Report suspicious activity to the FTC. Send the actual spam to uce@ftc.gov. If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov, and then visit the FTC’s identity theft website (IdentityTheft.gov) to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from identity theft.

The Federal Trade Commission has launched IdentityTheft.gov, a great resource to help victims of identity theft. The site provides interactive information to aid victims in the recovery process along with other helpful hints and resources.

As a rule, CoreFirst Bank & Trust will never ask for personal information through an un-solicited email. Please call us immediately if you receive any questionable solicitations.