E-mail Phishing
E-mail phishing enables offenders to obtain personal information via e-mail and
the Internet. With phishing, an e-mail header is forged to make it appear as if
it came from someone other than the actual source. The fraudulent e-mail message
may direct you to a “spoofed” Web site that looks just like the legitimate source's
Web site, but isn't. In these cases, the e-mail or pop-up messages are used to deceive
you into disclosing sensitive personal information so that the offender may use
your information to make fraudulent purchases, access your accounts or steal your
identity.
INTRUST Bank uses enhanced authentication factors beyond your user ID and password
to help prevent fraud as a result of phishing and spoofing. For instance, if you're
an OnLine Banking customer, seeing the picture and personal phrase you selected
is your assurance that you're on our legitimate Web site instead of a spoofed Web
site and it's safe to log in.
To learn more, we encourage you to read "
You
Can Fight Identity Theft," a valuable resource (.pdf) on the FDIC Web site.
For information about the latest instances of fraudulent INTRUST e-mails,
click here.
Telephone Phishing
Telephone phishing enables offenders to obtain personal information via the telephone.
Usually, offenders gather bits of information in advance and use it, along with
the information you provide over the phone, as a means to complete the information
for your account. With full account data, the offender can more easily make fraudulent
transactions.
In some cases of phone phishing, the offenders send you a fraudulent e-mail message
that appears to be from a legitimate financial or government source, but isn't.
The e-mail claims that your accounts have been deactivated due to fraudulent activity
and requests that you call a specific phone number in the e-mail to reactivate the
accounts. When you call the phone number, the friendly voice message claiming to
be a financial institution prompts you to disclose sensitive information. In other
cases of phone phishing, offenders are able to spoof caller ID so that their call
appears to be from a legitimate bank, but isn't. It's during the call that you're
prompted to disclose the sensitive information to complete your account data.
Text Phishing
Text phishing occurs when offenders send you a text message in an attempt to coerce
you into providing personal information. Like with some cases of telephone phishing,
the text message claims that your account has been deactivated and requests that
you call a specific phone number in the text message to reactivate the account.
Once the phone number is called, you’re prompted via automated message to provide
your account information. Offenders will then use your account information to make
fraudulent transactions.
Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when your personal information is used by someone else to
open new accounts or initiate transactions in your name. Identity theft occurs through
a number of ways offline – from stealing wallets and purses, intercepting and rerouting
mail or rummaging through garbage. To learn more, visit
www.consumer.gov/idtheft, the U.S. government's central Web site for information
about identity theft, or call the Identity Theft hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT.
Fake Check Scams
Fake check scams occur when you receive a realistic-looking phony check and don't
discover that it's fake until after depositing it and sometimes wiring money back
to the offender. Usually the scams start with someone offering to:
- Buy something you advertised for sale
- Pay you to work at home
- Give you an “advance” on a sweepstakes you've won
- Give you the first installment on the millions you'll receive for agreeing to transfer
money in a foreign country to your bank account for safekeeping.
The amount of the check or money order may be more than you're owed, so you're instructed
to deposit it and wire the rest to the offender, or you're told to wire some of
the money back to pay a fee to claim your “winnings.” In some cases, the offender
promises to transfer money directly to your bank account. When you check the balance,
it looks like the funds have arrived. After you've wired the money, you find out
that the check or money order has bounced.
Skimming
Skimming, which occurs when your credit or debit card account information is captured
in a data storage device, is a practice offenders employ to create counterfeit credit
or debit cards from your account information. Your card may be swiped first for
an actual purchase, and then swiped again into a small hand-held device called a
skimmer, or a skimmer may be attached to an ATM machine or unattended gas pump where
you swipe your card or enter your card information.