 Don’t get hooked by Internet scammers trying to find out your
personal and financial information.
In the latest Internet scam, “phishers” send an e-mail or
pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization,
such as your bank or federal agency. The message may tell you that you need to update your
account information.
You are then directed to a website
that looks like a legitimate site, but it isn’t. The only purpose of this site is to trick you into
divulging your personal information. The “phishers” then use your personal information to
steal your identity to run up bills in your name or commit
other crimes.
These “phishing” scams can be
carried out over the Internet or over the phone.
For example, you might open your
e-mail one morning and find a message from your bank telling
you that your account is overdrawn from a check that you didn’t
write. The message
will urge you to take immediate action and will direct you
to a website that looks like the website of your bank. They may even provide a phone number for you to call. When you call, the person on the other end of the line
will tell you that he or she will take care of the matter
while you’re on the phone and then will ask for your social
security number, bank account number and other personal information. Remember, if it is really your bank, they already have
the information and you don’t need to provide it again. By giving this information out, you have allowed these
con artists access to your financial information to use to
commit identity theft.
If you get this type of message, do not respond by e-mail
or call the number that is listed. Take a few minutes to look in the phone book for the
correct
phone number or check your past statements for a phone number
and call your bank, credit card company or federal agency
to see if there is really a problem.
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A new emerging scam is called “pharming,” whereby spyware
is unknowingly installed on your computer. When you type in a legitimate URL (Universal Resource
Locater) in your browser’s address bar, a redirection scheme
takes you to a fake website without you even knowing it.
The Federal Trade Commission suggests
the following tips to help you avoid “phishing” and “pharming”
scams:
-
If you get an e-mail or
pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information,
do not reply or click on the link. Legitimate companies do not ask for this information
via e-mail.
-
If you initiate a transaction
and want to provide personal or financial information, make
sure the organization or business has a secure website.
-
Use anti-virus software
and keep it up-to-date. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect your
computer from accepting unwanted files.
Report suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission. If you get spam (unwanted junk mail) that is “phishing”
for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov. If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint
at www.ftc.gov.
CONSUMER TIPS is provided as a public
service by the Missouri Independent Bankers Association
AND
Community Bank of the Ozarks
P.O. Box 43
Sunrise Beach, MO 65079
(573) 374-5245
1-800-927-4314
www.cbobanker.com
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