Precautionary steps protect your identity online

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas (11/23/05)--Credit union members continue to receive a growing number of sophisticated phishing scams. If you're not careful, you're likely to become easy bait (LoneStar Leaguer Nov. 3).

Jason Allred of Credit Union Resources' Financial and Technology Resources offers these recommendations to help credit union members avoid becoming a victim of phishing scams:

  • Be suspicious of any e-mail message that contains urgent requests for personal information. Unless the e-mail is digitally signed to verify the "From:" address in a message, you can't be sure it wasn't forged or "spoofed."

  • Phishers typically include upsetting or exciting (false) statements in e-mails to try to get you to react immediately. They ask for usernames, passwords, credit-card numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal identifying information. Phishing e-mails typically are not personalized, while valid messages from your credit union or e-commerce company generally are personalized.
  • Don't click on links in an e-mail message to get to any Web page, particularly if you suspect the message isn't authentic. Instead, call the company directly or log onto the Web site by typing in the company's URL in your browser. Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that ask for personal financial information. Only communicate personal information via a secure website or on a telephone--but not a cell phone.

  • Make sure you use a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser. The beginning of the Web address in your browser's address bar should be https:// rather than just http://.

  • Consider installing a Web browser tool bar to help protect you from known phishing fraud websites. One example is the EarthLink ScamBlocker, which is part of a free browser toolbar that alerts you before you visit a page that is on Earthlink's list of known fraudulent phisher Web sites. Download the tool--at no cost--at earthlink.net/earthlinktoolbar.

  • Regularly log in to your online accounts. Check for unusual or suspicious activity. You're at great risk if you only check your accounts once each month. Some online banking environments have the ability to post the last date and time that the account was logged on.

  • Regularly check your credit union, credit, and debit card statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate. Contact your credit union and all issuers if you see anything suspicious.

  • Make sure your browser is up-to-date and security patches applied. If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser, go to the Microsoft Security home page at Microsoft.com/security to download a special patch relating to certain phishing schemes.

  • Forward phishing e-mails to reportphishing@antiphishing.com. Also, forward the e-mail to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov. When forwarding spoofed messages, always include the entire original e-mail with its original header information intact. Notify the Internet Fraud Complaint Center of the FBI by filing a complaint on its website at ifccfbi.gov/.

print this story email this story
Resource Links
Statement Stuffer: Phishing—Don’t Take the Bait
Earthlink Scam Buster
Microsoft Security home page
FBI Internet Fraud Complaint Center
Resources to fight phishing fraud


More Consumer

Copyright © 2012 Credit Union National Association