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, a method used by cyber criminals to highjack 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.
Christopher Romano of the Montana Division of Banking said, “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.”
In this case, your best defense is to verify the claim independently.
When it comes to phishing, don’t share your personal information with anyone you don’t know.
Don’t respond to any unconfirmed solicitations.
Review your all financial statements each month.
The Federal Trade Commission provides the following information about phishing:
Examples of Phishing Messages
You open an email or text, and see a message like this:
“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.”
“During our regular verification of accounts, we couldn’t verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information.”
“Our records indicate that your account was overcharged. You must call us within 7 days to receive your refund.”
The senders are phishing for your information so they can use it to commit fraud.
How to Deal with Phishing Scams
Delete email and text messages that ask you to confirm or provide personal information (credit card and bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, etc.). Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email or text.
The messages may appear to be from organizations you do business with – banks, for example. They might threaten to close your account or take other action if you don’t respond.
Don’t reply, and don’t click on links or call phone numbers provided in the message, either. These messages direct you to spoof sites – sites that look real but whose purpose is to steal your information so a scammer can run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
Area codes can mislead, too. Some scammers ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a “refund.” But a local area code doesn’t guarantee that the caller is local.
If you’re concerned about your account or need to reach an organization you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card.