Beware of "Phishing"
t is becoming increasingly common to tune in to the news or load your favorite news Web site and read about yet another Internet e-mail scam. An e-mail scam is a fraudulent e-mail that appears to be from a legitimate Internet address with a justifiable request — usually to verify your personal information or account details.

One example would be if you received an e-mail that appears to be from your bank requesting you click a hyperlink in the e-mail and verify your online banking information. Usually there will be a repercussion stated in the e-mail for not following the link, such as "your account will be closed or suspended". The goal of the sender is for you to disclose personal and (or) account related information. This type of e-mail scam is also called phishing.

Phishing (fish´ing) (n.) The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The Web site, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user’s information.

How to Spot A Phishing Scam
At first glance, it may not be obvious to the recipients that what is in their inbox is not a legitimate e-mail from a company with whom they do business. The "From" field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail, and the clickable link may also appear to be taking you to the company's Web site, but will in fact take you to a spoof Web site. Looks can be deceiving, but with phishing scams the e-mail is never from who is appears to be!

1. The "From Field" appears to be from the legitimate company mentioned in the e-mail. It is important to note, however, that it is very simple to change the "from" information in any e-mail client. While we're not going to tell you how, rest assured it can be done in a matter of seconds!

2. The e-mail will usually contain logos or images that have been taken from the Web site of the company mentioned in the scam e-mail.

3. The e-mail will contain a clickable link with text suggesting you use the inserted link to validate your information. In the image you will see that once the hyperlink is highlighted, the bottom left of the screen shows the real Web site address to which you will go. Note that the hyperlink does NOT point to the legitimate Citibank Web site URL.

In this instance the text you click is "here", however this may also state something like "Log-in to Citibank" or "www.citibank.com/secure" to be even more misleading. This clickable area is only text and can be changed to anything the sender wants it to read.

Elements that did not appear in this particular scam:

* Logos that are not an exact match to the company's logo... spelling errors, percentage signs followed by numbers or @ signs within the hyperlink, random names or e-mail addresses in the body of the text, or even e-mail headers which have nothing to do with the company mentioned in the e-mail.
* Language and tone. The message you receive may urge you to act quickly by suggesting that your account is threatened. It may say that if you fail to update, verify or confirm your personal or account information, access to your accounts will be suspended. The wording may also be sloppy and contain misspellings.

* Requests for personal information. Scam e-mails typically ask for personal or account information such as:
- Account numbers
- Credit and check card numbers
- Social Security numbers
- Online banking user IDs and passwords
- Mother's maiden name
- Date of birth
- Other confidential information

* E-mailed instructions to download software. All your online banking should be done through our secure Web site, and we will not send you e-mail instructions to download any banking software to your computer. Do not install software downloads directly from e-mail messages, or from companies or Web sites you do not recognize. When in doubt, contact the company directly or call our customer service number at 800.788.7000.

* Non-secure Web pages. Clever thieves can build a fake Web site that looks nearly identical to an authentic one. They can even alter the URL (the Web address) that appears in your browser window. Watch out for non-secure Web pages that ask for sensitive information (secure sites will typically display a lock in the status bar at the bottom of your browser window).

General Security Tips
Never give out personal information online or over the phone unless you have initiated the contact. Some Banks will never request that you submit confidential information over non-secure channels such as e-mail or phone calls initiated by them.
Don't include information such as your driver's license or Social Security Number on your pre-printed checks.
Memorize all Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), such as your ATM card PIN and online passwords. Do not keep such numbers in your wallet or purse.
Avoid using easily guessed or learned information such as your online password, PIN or Telephone Access Code (TAC).
Get the ability to select a TAC to be used as identification when accessing our automated phone system. We encourage you to select a TAC rather than using your Social Security number
Store new and cancelled checks in a secure place and shred unnecessary financial documents. Consider signing up for a check safekeeping service.
Avoid writing your account number on envelopes or other items that may be thrown away later.
Register your credit cards, ATM, check and debit cards with a liability protection service.
If you stop receiving bills, statements or other monthly mailings, or if a bill is not received when expected, contact the issuing company immediately.
Promptly collect incoming mail, and use a locking mailbox if possible.
Send outgoing mail from a secured mailbox or a post office; try to avoid leaving outgoing mail in your home mailbox.
Shred all unwanted pre-approved offers for credit cards, convenience checks or loans.

Passwords and User IDs
Avoid these when creating passwords:
* Your birth date or a family member's birth date
* Names of family members or pets
* Social Security number
* Phone numbers
* Dates of important events, such as anniversaries

Tips for creating strong passwords:
* Use a combination of numbers, letters and punctuation.
* Longer passwords are better.
* Make sure it's something you can remember without writing it down.

Install and Use
Internet Security Programs
Viruses can infect a home computer in many ways: through floppy disks, CDs, e-mail, Web sites and downloaded files. Anti-virus programs help protect your computer against most viruses, worms, Trojans and other unwanted invaders that can make your computer "sick." Viruses, worms and the like often perform malicious acts, such as deleting files, accessing personal data or using your computer to attack other computers. If a file is found to be infected with a virus, most anti-virus programs provide you with options of how to respond, such as removing the harmful item or deleting the file. Installing an anti-virus program and keeping it up-to-date is the best defense for your home computer.

Firewalls: What Are They and How Do I Use Them?
Before you connect your computer to the Internet, you should install a firewall. A firewall can be generally described as a security guard for your home computer. The guard is a piece of software or hardware that helps protect your PC against hackers and many computer viruses and worms. With a firewall, you define which connections between your computer and other computers on the Internet are allowed and which are denied. There are firewall programs, both free and available for purchase, that provide the capabilities you need to help make your home computer more secure.

Decrease risk of being a phishing victim
Here are some more safety tips:
* Be suspicious of demanding messages. Messages threatening to terminate or suspend your account without your quick response should be treated as suspicious. A legitimate bank or business should not request personal information from you over an unsecured Web site. When in doubt, call the business' customer service number (available on your account statement) to confirm the status of your account. Do not use telephone numbers found on the suspected Web site.

* Be cautious of downloads. Installing unknown software on your computer can put your personal information at risk and potentially harm your computer's hard drive. Make sure the software comes from a legitimate Web site, not an e-mail message. If you're not sure whether you should download a program, contact a customer service representative for more information.

* Always type in the URL of the Web page you need. Phishing scams rely on embedded links that take you to fake Web sites. It's safer to type your bank's Web address directly into your browser so you know you're visiting the legitimate site.

* Protect your password. Don't write down sensitive personal information such as your password or Social Security number. Change your password frequently.

* Keep your computer up-to-date. Washington Mutual recommends that you install anti-virus and firewall programs to help keep your computer safe. Learn more.

Report an online scam
If you receive suspicious e-mail, do not open any attachments or click any links found in the suspicious e-mail.

You may also want to forward it to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov, or contact them at www.consumer.gov/idtheft
* or 877.IDTHEFT (877.438.4338).

If you believe you have provided personal or account information in response to a fraudulent e-mail or Web site, please contact Washington Mutual at 800.788.7000 and contact the other financial institutions with which you have accounts.

Learn more about phishing
To learn more about phishing, read the phishing brochure* provided by The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC charters, regulates and supervises all national banks.

Purchasing and Installing Programs
Apply these practices when you select software for your home computer.

* Learn as much as you can about the product and what it does before you purchase it.
* Understand the refund/return policy before you make your purchase.
* Buy from a local store that you already know or a national chain with an established reputation.

Keep Your System Up-to-Date
Most software vendors provide free patches to fix problems in their products. You can usually download these patches from the vendor's Web site. When you purchase a program, it's a good idea to find out how the vendor provides customer support.

Backups: How Important?
It is a good practice to back up important files and folders on your computer. To back up files, you can make copies onto media that you can safely store elsewhere, such as CDs or USB Flash Drives.

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