Phishing -Don’t Take the Bait

Criminals have discovered a new way to commit identity theft. They are now using the internet to go “phishing”.

Phishing is a new, quickly spreading, online scam that a criminal will use to steal your personal information such as credit cards, social security numbers, user ID’s and passwords. A fake website is created that is similar to a legitimate organization, usually a financial institution or an insurance company. The most common way someone will do this is through e-mail. The criminal will send out an e-mail that you think is from a trusted source, like your institution. The e-mail may even have logos or trademarks on it.

If you suspect an email is bogus, delete the email and contact your financial institution. There are times that Fidelity may ask you to go to our site, however, our web address is https://www.bankatfidelity.com and we would direct you to a secure area of our site.

Here are some tips you should use to prevent someone from stealing your identity:

-Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal information, spelling errors, or awkward phrasing.

-Don’t complete any forms in an e-mail message. If you need to fill out a form you will be able to do it directly on the website.

-Review your online accounts for suspicious activity.

-You should only give out personal information over the telephone if the company properly identifies themselves or through a secure website.

If you suspect that you are a victim of phishing you can report it. Here are a few websites that we recommend.

reportphishing@antiphishing.org

spam@uce.gov

You can also notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center of the FBI by filing a complaint on their Web site: www.ic3.gov. or you can forward the e-mail to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.

Fidelity Bank will never ask for personal information via either an email or phone call. We will direct you to our secure website or ask that you visit a branch office.