Protect Yourself from "Phishing" Scams



	Protect Yourself from "Phishing" Scams Protect Yourself from "Phishing" Scams "Phishing" is an e-mail scam currently circulating widely on the Internet. Phishing e-mails actually are sent by fraudsters, but are designed intentionally to appear to have been sent by a legitimate institution such as a credit union or bank. For example, the e-mail may request you to reply by e-mail or to follow a link to the bank's web site and provide information such as: * Online banking log-in information * Payment card number * Personal identification number (PIN) * Password * Identity information (such as Social Security number) Clicking on the link, however, will direct you to a spoof web site and not to the genuine web site of the institution stated in the e-mail. The fraudster who sent the spam e-mail will use the account information that you unwittingly provide to conduct fraudulent transactions. We encourage you to safeguard yourself against phishing by following the tips below: * Be wary of phishing e-mail. Financial institutions do not contact customers to ask them to provide sensitive information such as passwords and PINs online. Look for indications such as spelling and grammatical errors that expose the e-mail as being fraudulent. * Do not click hastily on links appearing in incoming e-mails and provide payment card or other personal information. Make it a practice to connect to an institution's web site only by directly typing the institution's valid web address into your web browser. * Notify us and the local law enforcement authorities promptly by forwarding suspicious phishing-type e-mails. This action will help us to shut down the fake web site and to take action against the criminals. * Monitor the transactions appearing on your statements, and quickly report suspicious transactions to us. * Change passwords and PINs periodically. * Install anti-spam and firewall software on your personal computer to stop receiving spam and to prevent unauthorized access. * Turn off your computer when not in use, to avoid criminals gaining access and misusing it for fraudulent purposes, which includes launching phishing attacks. If you suspect that you have become a victim of a phishing attach and already have divulged your sensitive account information to fraudsters, please: Contact us immediately at the following phone number to discuss the appropriate remedial action: Phone number: 1-800-647-8428 Continue to monitor your statement for unauthorized transactions, if your account is not closed. Report the incident to the police.