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“Phishing”
Phishing — e-mail scams in which imposters pretend to be legitimate companies in order to trick consumers into revealing personal and financial information that can be used for identity theft — is on the rise. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, phishing scams are growing at the rate of 110% per month. Knowing how to recognize them, and what to do if you think you have been a victim, can help protect you and your family.
Phishers hijack the brands of well-known companies, sending out official looking e-mails, complete with familiar logos and links to realistic-looking Web sites that have addresses that are just slightly different from a company’s real Web site address. The e-mails often carry a sense of urgency, warning consumers that their accounts will be closed unless they “confirm” certain information, or telling them they have won a special prize. Consumers who provide their credit card, bank account, or Social Security numbers may find their identities have been stolen as a result.
An unsolicited e-mail could be a phishing scam if it:
- Doesn’t address you by your name
- Asks you to provide personal or financial information, such as your bank or credit card account number, an account password or PIN, or your Social Security number or mother’s maiden name
- Warns that you have been the victim of fraud or that your account will be closed unless you respond quickly
- Tells you that you have won a prize or vacation and just need to “confirm” certain information
- Has spelling or grammatical errors you wouldn’t expect a professional business to make
We monitor transaction activity and alert cardholders of anything unusual. In addition, we monitor hacker Web sites and chatrooms, looking for places where data is being swapped and then searching for Providian account numbers. But the first line of defense is with our cardholders. We rely on you to tell us about any suspicious e-mails you receive or may have responded to, so that we can take appropriate action.
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| Forward any suspicious e-mails to the Federal Trade Commission at uce@ftc.gov or file a complaint with the FTC at www.ftc.gov. You can also forward unsolicited e-mail claiming to be from Visa or your Visa card issuer to phishing@visa.com. |
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- Treat any unsolicited e-mail requests for financial or personal information with great caution. If you’re not sure, contact the business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if it is genuine by visiting a secure Web site or calling a company phone number that you know to be legitimate.
- When entering personal data at a Web site look for a “locked padlock” in the browser or “https” at the beginning of the Web site address to make sure the site is secure.
- Check your monthly bank and credit card statements to verify that all transactions are legitimate.
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In June, Visa USA, the Better Business Bureau, Call for Action, and the Federal Trade Commission announced an education campaign designed to help consumers identify phishing scams and avoid becoming victims. Comprehensive resources are available on the Internet at www.visa.com/phishing, http://www.bbbonline.org/idtheft/phishing.asp, www.callforaction.org, and www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
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