The federal
bank, thrift and credit union agencies today announced the publication of a
brochure with information to help consumers identify and combat a new type of
Internet scam known as “phishing.”
The term is a play on the word “fishing,” and that’s exactly
what Internet thieves are doing – fishing for confidential financial
information, such as account numbers and passwords. With enough information, a
con artist can run up bills on another person’s credit card or, in the worst
case, even steal that person’s identity.
In a common type of phishing scam, individuals receive
e-mails that appear to come from their financial institution. The e-mail may
look authentic, right down to the use of the institution’s logo and marketing
slogans. The e-mails often describe a
situation that requires immediate attention and then warn that the account will
be terminated unless the e-mail recipients verify their account information
immediately by clicking on a provided link.
The link will take the e-mail recipient to a screen that
asks for account information. While it may appear to be a page sponsored by a
legitimate financial institution, the information will actually go to the con
artist who sent the e-mail.
The federal financial regulatory agencies want consumers to
know that they should never respond to such requests. No legitimate financial
institution will ever ask its customers to verify their account information
online.
The brochure also advises consumers:
- Never
click on the link provided in an e-mail if there is reason to believe it
is fraudulent. The link may contain a virus.
- Do
not be intimidated by e-mails that warn of dire consequences for not
following their instructions.
- If
there is a question about whether the e-mail is legitimate, go to the company’s
site by typing in a site address that you know to be legitimate.
- If
you fall victim to a phishing scam, act immediately to protect yourself by
alerting your financial institution, placing fraud alerts on your credit
files and monitoring your account statements closely.
- Report
suspicious e-mails or calls to the Federal Trade Commission through the
Internet at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or
by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT.
The interagency brochure is available on each agency’s web
site and financial institutions are encouraged to download the camera-ready
file for use in their own customer-education programs.
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Attachment
Media Contacts:
Federal Reserve Susan
Stawick (202)
452-2955
FDIC David
Barr (202) 898-6992
NCUA Cherie
Umbel (703)
518-6330
OCC Kevin
Mukri (202)
874-5770
OTS Erin
Hickman (202) 906-6677