|  from
the ABA Education Foundation
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 emails in hopes that consumers will respond with the 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.
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
online, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom of your
Internet browser. Also, many secure Internet addresses, though
not all, use "https" to signify 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.
Up to 500,000 individuals are victims each
year of identity theft, a fast-growing form of fraud. Fortunately,
a few simple steps can help ensure you stay out of these statistics.
" Identity theft" or "account takeover
fraud" involves criminals stealing a person's personal information.
The crooks assume a person's identity, apply for credit in his or
her name, run up huge bills, stiff creditors and generally wreck
the victim's credit record.
At MCNB Banks, we put a combination of safeguards
in place to protect customers, including employee training, rigorous
security standards, data encryption and fraud detection. You can
take these steps to avoid becoming a victim:
- Don't give your Social Security or account
numbers to anyone over the phone unless you initiated the call.
- Tear up receipts, old bank statements and unused
credit card offers before throwing them away. Crooks could steal
information from your trash and use it to get credit in your name.
- Review your bank and credit card statements
as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized transactions.
- Protect your PINs and computer passwords; use
a combination of letters and numbers and change them often. Never
carry this information with you!
- Order copies of your credit report once a year
to ensure accuracy. Call any of the three national credit reporting
agencies: Trans Union (800-888-4213), Equifax (800-685-1111) and
Experian (888-397-3742).
- Report any suspected fraud to your bank and
credit card issuers immediately so they can start work to close
accounts and clear your name right away .
By law you are only liable for the first $50 of
unauthorized charges against a credit card. Still, restoring your
identity can be a tremendous inconvenience. It's worth your while
to exercise a little preventive maintenance. Protect yourself against
this terrible crime.
Additional information about identity theft, protecting
yourself, and recovering should you become a victim can be found
at the resources below.
|
Simple
Steps to Safeguard Your Identity
