Top 5 Ways Fraudsters Try to Steal Your Information with Phishing

Cybercriminals are counting on us to be distracted and let our guard down. If we do, they can trick us into handing over our personal or financial information using one of their favorite tactics – phishing.

You might be familiar with email phishing but it’s not the only type of phishing you could experience. Criminals will also use phone calls, text messages, websites and social media to deploy a phishing scam.

Here are some common forms of phishing that you might encounter and the warning signs to watch out for…

1. Phone call phishing
Warning signs to look out for:

• You receive a phone call from “your credit card company” or “financial institution,” typically from someone who works in the “Security and Fraud Department.”
• You are told your card has been flagged for suspicious transactions and you need to prove that you have the card in your possession.
• You are asked to provide the three-digit security code on the back of your payment card, a one-time passcode that was just sent to you, or your PIN.

2. Email phishing
Warning signs to look out for:

• There are spelling and grammar errors in the subject line or body of the email.
• Sometimes scammers will include a deadline and threaten account suspension to add urgency to override your normal sense of caution.
• The email address doesn’t match the organization (e.g., irs.net or amazon.mil).
• The email does not address you by name.
• No contact information is provided. If something feels suspicious, contact your financial institution directly using the phone number on the back of your card.
• The company makes a suspicious request. Financial institutions do not contact cardholders to request their personal account information.
• The email includes suspicious hyperlinks. Avoid clicking links if possible. A single click can cause your computer to become infected with malware.

3. Text message phishing
Warning signs to look out for:

• There’s a link instead of a phone number to call.
• The text you receive may not contain the name of the financial institution or any other information.
• The text requests that you log in to your account to verify a transaction, enter your PIN, or provide your 3-digit CVV code.

4. Website phishing
Warning signs to look out for:

• There’s something slightly off about the web address or the actual page. Look for misspelled words, substitutions or updated logos.
• An unusual pop-up on the site requests that you enter your account information.
• There are HTML links that don’t match their destination.

5. Social media phishing
Warning signs to look out for:

• Someone you don’t know sends you a friend request.
• A post asks you to click on a link that requests personal information.

Have you encountered a phishing scam?

Remember: Never give private information such as your social security number, credit card number, or account details over the phone or via text unless you initiated the contact and you know the business is legitimate.

• If you experience a phishing scam using Scott Credit Union’s name, please contact us by phone at 1-800-888-4728 or online.
• If you experience a phishing scam that uses Visa’s name, please let them know by emailing [email protected]. While Visa can’t respond to each email, they fully investigate each claim to help stop fraud at the source.

For more information on phishing and other computer-based scams, visit Scott Credit Union’s Security page and the National Cyber Security Alliance.

Article Source: Visa, Inc.

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