Protecting Your Finances

(NAPS) – More and more con artists are using e-mail to try to hijack your personal financial information. Scammers called “phishers” claim to be from a reputable company and send out thousands of fake e-mails in hopes that consumers will respond with bank account information, credit card numbers, passwords or other sensitive information.

These e-mails can look quite convincing, with company logos and banners copied from actual Web sites. Often, they will tell you their security procedure has changed or that they need to update (or validate) your information, and then direct you to a look-alike Web site. If you respond, the thieves use your information to order goods and services or obtain credit.

The American Bankers Association offers these tips to avoid becoming a victim of a scam:

• Never give out personal financial information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax or e-mail, no matter how official it may seem.
• Do not respond to e-mail that warns of dire consequences unless you validate your information immediately. Contact the company to confirm the e-mail’s validity using a telephone number or Web address you know to be genuine.
• Check your credit card and bank account statements regularly and look for unauthorized transactions, even small ones. Report discrepancies immediately.
• When submitting financial information online, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom of your Internet browser. Also, many secure Internet addresses, but not all, use “https:” to signify that your information is secure during transmission.

You can report suspicious activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, at www.ifccfbi.gov.