September 17, 2019

We want to help educate consumers on the growing threat of phishing. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report victims lost nearly $30 million due to phishing scams in 2017 compared to $8 million just two years earlier. 

In a phishing scam, criminals send an email or a text, or call a victim disguised as a company or person they know. The goal of the phisher is to steal the victim’s money, identity or both by convincing the unsuspecting consumer to click on a link or share sensitive information, such as a password. The fraudsters often pressure victims to act quickly by saying something bad will happen if they do not comply.

Read the following tips to help protect yourself from a phishing scam.

Verify the Source

• Look up the website or phone number for the company or person who’s contacting you.
• Call that company or person directly. Use a number you know to be correct, not the number in the email or text.
• Tell them about the message you got.

Watch for Red Flags

• You don’t have an account with the company.
• The message is missing your name or uses bad grammar and spelling.
• The person asks for personal information, including passwords.
• But note: some phishing schemes are sophisticated and look very real, so check it out and protect yourself.

Protect Yourself

• Keep your computer security up to date and back up your data often.
• Consider multi-factor authentication — a second step to verify who you are, like a text with a code — for accounts that support it.
• Change any compromised passwords right away and don’t use them for any other accounts.

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