Protect Your Identity


Phishing

phishing (FISH.ing) pp. Creating a replica of an existing Web page to fool a user into submitting personal, financial, or password data. —adj.
—phisher n.


Example Citations:

Phishing is the term coined by hackers who imitate legitimate companies in e-mails to entice people to share passwords or credit-card numbers. Recent victims include Charlotte's Bank of America, Best Buy and eBay, where people were directed to Web pages that looked nearly identical to the companies' sites.

The term had its coming out this week when the FBI called phishing the "hottest, and most troubling, new scam on the Internet." The name appears to have no connection to the band Phish, an FBI spokesman said.
—Andrew Shain, "Phishing to steal your information," Charlotte Observer, July 25, 2003

Tips on how to avoid the Internet scam known as phishing.

  • If you receive an unexpected e-mail saying your account will be shut down unless you confirm your billing information, do not reply or click any links in the e-mail body
  • Before submitting financial information through a Web site, look for the "lock" icon on the browser's status bar. It means your information is secure during transmission
  • If you are uncertain about the information, contact the company through an address or telephone number you know to be genuine
  • If you unknowingly supplied personal or financial information, contact your bank or credit union immediately
  • Suspicious e-mail can be forwarded to uce@ftc.gov, and complaints should be filed with the state attorney general's office or through the FTC at www.ftc.gov
  • Please notify the credit union of any suspicious emails claiming to be from the credit union

Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In fact, you or someone you know may have experienced some form of identity theft.

Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information.

  • Shred documents with personal information before discarding
  • Don’t give out your Social Security number or other personal information unless you know who you’re dealing with

Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements.

  • Inspect your credit reports, financial statements and bills regularly for activity you did not authorize or expect

Defend against ID theft as soon as you suspect it.

  • Place a “Fraud Alert” on your credit reports
  • Close the affected accounts
  • File a police report
  • Report ID theft to the FTC
     

 

Learn more... click the "Play" button below and watch a 10-minute educational video that provides an overview of identity theft and outlines the steps consumers can take.

Deter. Detect. Defend. Avoid ID Theft - Play Video
 

For more information, visit ftc.gov/idtheft
 
 

 

           

 


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