Internet “phishing” scams are one of the fastest-growing
frauds today. Phishing typically
involves a bogus e-mail message that uses legitimate materials, such as credit
union or other organization’s web site graphics and logos - to create the “look
and feel”- in an attempt to entice e-mail recipients to provide personal
financial details, such as account information, credit card information and
social security numbers.
Financial institutions, government agencies, retailers,
credit card companies and many other organizations have seen their Web site
graphics, including corporate logos and other materials “stolen” by fraudsters
intent on tricking individuals into divulging personal financial information by
responding to an official-looking, but entirely bogus,
e-mail.
Like many cons and scams, phishing preys on the
unwary. Here’s how credit union members
can fight back against this fraud.
Take Some
Simple Precautions
ü
Never respond to an unsolicited e-mail that asks for
personal financial information.
ü
Report anything suspicious to the proper authorities. Alert the credit union or government agency
identified in the suspect e-mail through a web address or telephone number that
you know is legitimate.
ü
Contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov – a partnership between the FBI and
the National White Collar Crime Center – If you think that you have received a
phishing e-mail or have been directed to a phishy looking Web site.
“Stop,
Look and Call”
The Department of Justice
advises e-mail users to “stop, look and call” if they receive a suspicious
e-mail.
ü
Stop. Resist the urge to immediately respond to a
suspicious e-mail – and to provide the information requested – despite urgent
or exaggerated claims.
ü
Look. Read the text of the e-mail several times and ask
yourself why the information requested would be needed.
ü
Call. Telephone
the organization identified, using the number that you knoe to be legitimate.
If You’ve
Been “Phished…”
If you believe that you have
provided sensitive financial information about yourself through a phishing
scam, you should:
ü
Immediately contact those organizations for which you
provided the information.
ü
Contact the three major credit bureaus and request that a
fraud alert be placed on your credit report.
The credit bureaus and phone numbers are:
§
Equifax, (800) 525-6285;
§
Experian, (888) 397-3742;
§
TransUnion, (800) 680-7289.
ü
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commision at www.ftc.gov. or call
(877) 382-4357.
Credit union members should
never provide their personal information in response to an unsolicited
telephone call, fax, letter, e-mail or Internet advertisement.
The bottom line: Don’t get hooked by fraudulent phishing
attempts.
Printed by NAFCU Financial
Education Corporation 2004