Warning
- Phishing Scams Are On The Rise
An
ever-increasing number of "phishing" scams are targeting online banking
consumers each month. Here's how a typical phishing scam works:
A con artist sends a bogus e-mail message to a list of e-mail addresses.
The phony spam e-mail message purports to be from a bank, and asks the
e-mail recipient to provide account information to assist the bank in
its efforts to crack down on identity theft. The e-mail message is
usually very authentic looking and includes company logos and copyright
information. These messages typically state something about the
recipient's account being temporarily suspended if account information
is not provided. A link is provided within the e-mail message which
takes the consumer to an official-looking website. The site asks for
personal information such as account numbers, pin numbers, social
security numbers, birth dates, etc. Participation in the scam by the
consumer results in identity theft -- and bad consequences.
Businesses that are commonly targeted by "phishers" include banks,
credit card companies, brokerage firms, e-bay, PayPal, Internet service
providers, as well as a variety of online retail e-commerce sites.
Tips On How To Avoid Getting Hooked By Phishing Scams
-
Our bank and other legitimate companies don't ask
for financial or personal information via e-mail. If you get an
e-mail or pop-up message that asks for this type of information, do
not reply or click on the link in the message. If you are
questioning the legitimacy of an e-mail regarding your account,
contact us immediately at 845.895.2051.
-
If you are suspicious about the website, try
entering bogus account information. Our online banking site will
return the following statement in response to bogus information:
Your Login Name or Password is not Valid.
If you would like to try again, select Sign-On from the menu to the
left. If the information is accepted, the site is probably a
fraud. Please contact us immediately.
- NEVER send personal or financial information via e-mail. E-mail
is not a secure method of transmitting personal information.
-
Initiate online transactions by typing our web
address into your browser's Address Bar (www.wallkill.com) rather
than clicking on a link provided within an e-mail message that
supposedly takes you to the organization's site. Con artists can
spoof an organization's web address shown on an e-mail message's
link and send you to a bogus site instead.
-
When you are asked to provide personal or
financial information through our website, be sure to look for the
indicators that the site is secure like a lock icon on the browser's
status bar or a web address that begins with "https:" -- the "s"
stands for "secure." Be sure to follow #3 above before doing this
step.
- Review bank account statements as soon as you receive them to
determine whether there are any unauthorized charges.
Click here for additional Information on Computer Privacy & Security
Click
here for additional Information on Identity Theft
Please be sure to report any suspicious activity to us
at 845.895.2051 or
info@wallkill.com
Have questions?
Feel free to give us a
call us at:
845-895-2051 |
