Phishing – pronounced fishing – is the
latest form of identity theft. It’s when thieves
act as if they are representing us and try to “hook” you
into providing personal information. Once you’re “hooked”,
the thieves can do serious damage to your financial
accounts. They can trick you into providing your Social
Security numbers, financial account numbers, PIN numbers,
passwords, mothers’ maiden names, and other
personal information.
How Does Phishing Work?
By E-mail:
The most common form of phishing is by e-mail.
For example, you could receive an e-mail from
Alma Exchange
Bank & Trust, asking you to “reconfirm” your
personal information. Unfortunately, this e-mail
is not from us, but from a phisher pretending
to be a
representative of our organization.
Typically, the e-mail contains a link to a website
that looks like a near-replica of our site. You
click onto the link and add your personal information,
which goes right into the hands of identity thieves.
It’s
important to not respond to these e-mails.
By Phone:
Phishers also use the phone to hunt for personal information.
Some, posing as employers, call or send e-mails to
people who have listed themselves on job search websites.
While phishing scams can be sophisticated, the following
features are often indicators that something is suspicious.
Be aware of a potential scam if:
•
Someone unexpectedly contacts you and asks for your
personal information, such as your financial institution
account number, an account password or PIN number,
credit card number or Social Security number. Alma
Exchange Bank & Trust will not contact
you for that information.
• The sender, who is supposedly a representative
of our organization, asks you to confirm that you
have a relationship with us. We have that information on record.
•
You are warned that your account will be shut down
unless you “reconfirm” your financial
information.
For more information:
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Atlanta Regional Office
10 Tenth Street, NE, Suite 800
Atlanta, GA 30309-3906
800-765-3342
The Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs
State of Georgia
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Suite 356
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
(404) 651-8600 or
1-800-869-1123 (outside the metro Atlanta dialing area)
Other resources:
Federal Trade Commission
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
National Fraud Information Center
http://www.fraud.org/
Alma Exchange Bank & Trust is doing everything
we can to counter this type of criminal activity.
The protection of your account is our top
priority. We
encourage you to learn more about internet
and other forms of fraud.
