HELENA –
These days scammers try many ways to take our money.
In one case, they use a false sense of urgency to get you to give them personal information. It’s called phishing where cyber criminals try and hijack your finances.
Whether it’s a phone call, an email or a text, the scammer will claim that there’s an urgent problem with your account and that they need information to clear it up.
They’ll ask for your birthday, account information, social security number, all in an effort to hack into your accounts and take your money. In this case, your best defense is to verify the claim independently.
“Go to the companies web site that you are familiar with, call the number that you’re familiar with, don’t rush to the call of action by clicking through links in an email or via a text or any type of electronic communication,” advised Christopher Roman with the Montana Division of Banking.
When it comes to phishing, don’t share your personal information with anyone you don’t know, don’t respond to any unconfirmed solicitations – and review your all financial statements each month.
Below are some websites that offer helpful tips on how you can prevent becoming a victim of cyber crime:
www.fireeye.com
www.identitytheftkiller.com/prevent-phishing-scams.php