Phishing Scams

How Not To Get Hooked                                    Take a fun phishing quiz

Phishing attacks on credit unions are on the rise, and First Atlantic wants to make sure that our members know how to identify a scam when they see one. Typically, phishers send an e-mail or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with such as First Atlantic, an Internet service provider, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message may ask you to "update," "validate," or "confirm" your account information. Some phishing e-mails threaten a dire consequence if you don't respond, and some e-mails promise payment for participating in a survey. The messages direct you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization's site. But it isn't. It's a bogus site whose sole purpose is to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

Now a new form of online scamming called "Vishing" is becoming more common. It is similar to phishing, but unlike a phishing message, instead of asking you to click on a link to provide financial information, the e-mail asks you to call a phone number.

We suggest these tips to help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing or vishing scam:

• If you get an e-mail or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply. And don't click on the link in the message, either.
• Under no circumstances should you ever enter your account number, PIN or social security number in any form on any Web site that you have accessed via e-mail. 
• Under no circumstances should you ever send any money, either cash, check or by credit card  to anyone promising you that you have won a sweepstakes or inherited money.
• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly.
• Don't e-mail personal or financial information.
• Don't provide personal or financial information over the phone unless you're positive you know who you're dealing with.
• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges.
• Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from e-mails you receive, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer's security.
• Forward spam that is phishing for information to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing e-mail. If the Web site is impersonating First Atlantic, you should forward the e-mail to phishing@fafcu.com. You also may report phishing e-mail to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.
• If you believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at ftc.gov, and then visit the FTC's Identity Theft website at www.consumer.gov. Victims of phishing can become victims of identity theft. While you can't entirely control whether you will become a victim of identity theft, you can take some steps to minimize your risk. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these new accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. You may catch an incident early if you order a free copy of your credit report periodically from any of the three major credit bureaus. See www.annualcreditreport.com for details on ordering a free annual credit report.

If you have any questions, or are suspicious of any e-mail claiming to be from First Atlantic, please send an e-mail phishing@fafcu.com or call Member Services at 732-380-3600. Don’t let yourself get hooked!