Phishing, hacking, scamming, no matter how they are trying to get your information, Dundee Bank wants to help you put a stop to it!
Dundee Bank thinks that you’re the perfect customer. We like your style so much we wish we had a thousand of you! Unfortunately, there are hackers and identity thieves on the job right this minute trying to make that happen. We wanted to take a look at a few ways people try to access your personal information, and a few more ways for you to stop them!
Spoofs Aren’t Always Funny
We aren’t talking about Abbot and Costello, or even “Scary Movie”. A Spoof is a nearly identical phone number or email account posing as you, your bank, or another legitimate business. These almost-identical accounts will use their similarity to someone you trust to get you to willingly hand over account information such as passwords, pins, or the answers to security questions.
Your bank will never ever ask you for your pin number. There will never be a reason for anyone to have that information but you. They will also never ask you for your full account number, because they have that information in front of them. Whether it’s your bank, your credit card company, your cable provider, or the furniture store you just bought your new couch from, they will only ask for your confirmation number, or for the last four digits in your account or social security number. Be suspicious of anyone asking for your full social or account number online or on the phone. Unless you’re actively making a purchase on a secure website, never give out this information.
Check the Attitude
If you get a call from someone claiming that your account has been hacked, that you owe money, or that you’ve won a prize, that is a red flag. If they start to get agitated and pressure you to give them your information, that is grounds for an immediate hang up. Hackers will try to guilt, agitate, or pressure you into giving up your private information by any means necessary. Some identity thieves will resort to threatening you with police, prosecution, or fines if you don’t send money or grant access to your account immediately.
The police will never call you demanding money. Your bank will never get mad at you for refusing to give out your private information.
Whether they are claiming to be from your doctor’s office or your long lost brother, a bad attitude is a good indicator that they don’t deserve your time or your account information.
Keep it Private
Social media has made sharing our lives so much easier, and this year, it’s felt like the only way to connect with the people we love and miss. There has probably never been a time that we were grateful to read about our loved ones’ lunch breaks, home renovation projects, and successes as much as now. But the things we share on our social media can quickly and easily be turned into ammunition against the safeguards we put in place to protect our accounts.
Surveys that ask about random personal details, like what your nickname was as a kid, what was your first pet and what was its name, and where you and your significant other met may be shared by people you know, love, and trust, but they were designed by people who wanted access to the answers to your security questions.
Be sure that you have all of your privacy settings in place on social media, and try to avoid answering invasive surveys no matter how interested you are in other people’s answers.
Tattle Tale
Reporting phishing doesn’t just protect you, it protects people who are the most vulnerable to these scams and attacks. People who may not see the red flags. If you save someone’s grandma from losing her life savings, we’re pretty sure that qualifies you for a national holiday! So please, forward phishing emails to spam@uce.gov and to whomever the phisher is pretending to be. Then send it to reportphishing@antiphishing.org to Anti-Phishing Working Group, an organization of ISPs, security vendors, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies who use the information to fight fishing,
Check out this Federal Trade Commission Infographic for more information about how to spot and avoid scams.
At the end of the day, we are so glad there is only one you. If you have any questions about how to secure your account, or how to be sure all appropriate safe guards are in place, talk with your local Dundee banker today!
Learn about Dundee Bank’s free app, Brella, that quickly identifies potentially fraudulent charges »
