Education » Articles » Phishing For Personal Information
Phishing for Personal Information
A fraud scam called "phishing" has been around for awhile but has recently gained
national attention because of the damage it can cause. Here's how it works: A thief
sends an email that appears to come from a company with which the victim does business.
This email typically asks the customer to "confirm" their personal account information
by responding with their account numbers, personal information and passwords. These
details are then used by the thief to steal the victim's identity.
Don't be fooled by this type of scam, even if the company logos or stationery appear
legit. Reputable companies would never ask you to confirm personal information in
an email message. UW Credit Union continually works to keep your personal information
safe, but protecting your information is also up to you.
To help you recognize abnormal information requests and protect your accounts, we'd
like to remind you of the following:
- Never provide your password or other personal information in an email message.
- Do not reply to unsolicited emails requesting personal information, no matter how
innocent the request may be or how legitimate the email appears.
- Avoid responding to forms sent by email.
- To ask questions, call the company's published phone number. Look up the number;
don't call a number included in an email. That number could be phony too.
If you think your UW Credit Union accounts have been compromised in any way, please
contact us immediately. To file a report about identity fraud, go to Federal Trade Commission Web Site and complete the online
complaint form.
