Beware of "PHISHING"
Criminals may use email to attempt to obtain personal information about you. Fraudulent emails may ask you to visit a phony website and give personal information about yourself. This type of activity, often called "phishing" (pronouced "fishing") may involve a criminal sending you an email asking you to visit a website that may look identical to the website of a bank or other business with whom you normally deal. The email may ask you to "update" or "validate" your information.
To avoid being a victim of such criminal activity, you should:
Delete unsolicited emails from unknown sources.
Be wary of impersonal email requests. Emails sent as "phishing" emails are usually generic will not address you personally or may contain errors in your name or email address.
Always remember that a legitimate sender of an email will not ask you to verify your social security number, password or PIN number in an email.
Become familiar with the website addresses of companies you normally do business with and set them as "favorites" or "bookmarks."
Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails. Instead, type the website's URL address manually or use a preset bookmark to verify the site or log into your account directly.
Look closely at the company's logo if one is used in the email. Compare it to the logo used on the company's legitimate website. Be suspicious if you notice any distortions.
Never panic and provide information via an email or website if you receive an email instructing you that your account will be closed unless you update or verify your information. Always contact the company using a known telephone number, such as one from a telephone directory, to verify that the information is needed.
Avoid sending personal information without being sure of you are doing so in a secure environment. Look for an "https://" in the website address line at the top of your browser. The 's' in "https://" means that the Internet session is secured by encryption to keep the information you transmit online protected from unauthorized users
