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Things to look for in scam email and websites. |
Fraudulent email and websites are designed to deceive you and can be difficult to distinguish from the real thing.
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How Not To Get Hooked by a "Phishing" Scam |
How to spot a phishing email.
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There are many telltale signs of a fraudulent email.
- Sender's Email Address. To give you a false sense of security, the “From” line may include an official-looking email address that may actually be copied from a genuine one. The email address can easily be altered – it’s not an indication of the validity of any email communication.
- False Sense of Urgency. Most phishing emails try to deceive you with the threat that your account will be in jeopardy if it’s not updated right away. An email that urgently requests you to supply sensitive personal information is typically fraudulent.
- Fake Links. Many phishing emails have a link that looks valid, but sends you to a fraudulent site that may or may not have an URL different from the link. Always check where a link is going before you click. Move your mouse over the URL in the email and look at the URL in the browser. As always, if it looks suspicious, don't click it.
- Attachments. Similar to fake links, attachments can be used in phishing emails and are dangerous. Never click on an attachment. It could cause you to download spyware or a virus. Justice FCU will never email you an attachment or a software update to install on your computer.
How to spot a fraudulent website.
A phishing email will usually try to direct you to a fraudulent website that mimics the appearance of a popular website or company. The spoof website will request your personal information, such as credit card number, Social Security number, or account password.
You think you are giving information to a trusted company when, in fact, you are supplying it to an online criminal.
Deceptive URLs.
Be cautious. Some fraudsters will insert a fake browser address bar over the real one, making it appear that you’re on a legitimate website.
- The term "https" should precede any web address (or URL) where you enter personal information. The "s" stands for secure. If you don't see "https," you're not in a secure web session, and you should not enter data.
Out-of-place lock icon.
Make sure there is a secure lock icon in the status bar at the bottom of the browser window. Many fake sites will put this icon inside the window to deceive you.
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Ways to combat scam email and websites. |
Although the number of phishing incidents is on the rise, you can take precautions to eliminate
the chance of falling victim to this new wave of identity theft. Here are some helpful tips:
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Never provide your credit union account number, password, PIN, social security
number, or other personal identity information in response to an unsolicited
request whether it’s over the phone or in an email. Remember, if you did not initiate the communication,
you should not provide any information. |
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If you receive an email with links to visit a website,
open a browser window and type in the trusted web address for the company’s
website. The link in the email could contain a virus that could contaminate your computer or it could link to a
spoof site that may appear to be legitimate, but really it is a place to
capture your confidential information. In addition, don’t fill out e-mailed forms that request personal information. |
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Ensure that you are using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your web browser. |
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Monitor your Justice FCU account. Check your account periodically for suspicious activity. If you notice unauthorized use, report it to us. |
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Keep security software current. Update your firewalls and security patches frequently. |
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Be smart about your password. Change passwords often and use unique passwords that include letters, numbers, and symbols. |
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How to report a phishing email. |
Justice FCU takes online fraud seriously by investigating phishing emails reported to us.
Follow these steps:
- Forward any email you suspect to be fraudulent to eservices@jfcu.org as well as spam@uce.gov.
- Do not alter the subject line or forward the message as an attachment.
- Delete the suspicious email from your email account.
We’ll let you know quickly if the email is legitimate. Your vigilance helps protect other Justice FCU users |
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