Beware of Phishing scams that are setup to steal your personal information.

WHAT IS PHISHING?

Phishing is a type of fraud designed to steal your personal data (account numbers, passwords/PIN numbers, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) via communications that appear to come from trusted sources such as your bank or financial institution and request that YOU provide personal information they should already have.

One thing to remember with phishing attempts is that the email and/or phone numbers used are random selections, similar to spam emails or a list of all possible phone numbers, not your personal information. Rest assured, they ARE NOT getting inside firewalls and accessing actual account information. The only way phishing perpetrators can access your account(s) is by you providing them with sensitive account/access information.

RULE OF THUMB

Your financial institutions will NEVER ask you for your personal information because they already have everything they need so trust your instincts, or simply ask to contact them back with a trusted number you already have. Don’t ask them for a number to call back because they will most likely give you another fraudulent number.

Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal and financial information. But there are several ways to protect yourself.

• How To Recognize Phishing
• How To Protect Yourself From Phishing Attacks
• What To Do if You Suspect a Phishing Attack
• What To Do if You Responded to a Phishing Email
• How To Report Phishing

How To Recognize Phishing

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

• say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
• claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
• say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
• include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
• want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
• say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
• offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

Here are signs that this email is a scam, even though it looks like it comes from a company you know — and even uses the company’s logo in the header:

• The email has a generic greeting.
• The email says your account is on hold because of a billing problem.
• The email invites you to click on a link to update your payment details.

While real companies might communicate with you by email, legitimate companies won’t email or text with a link to update your payment information. Phishing emails can often have real consequences for people who give scammers their information, including identity theft. And they might harm the reputation of the companies they’re spoofing.

Source: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams