Email phishing is one of the most common current efforts that fraud perpetrators are using to insert themselves in the middle of financial transactions and gain control of funds that belong to you. This is a big issue that’s been talked about recently by both the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI. There are some very specific things that you should consider doing to protect yourself when it comes to protecting your financial information.
Be Cautious with Email
First and foremost, be very cautious about emailing financial information. Generally speaking, email is not secure. If you have to email some financial information it’s always good to follow up with a phone call to make sure that it arrives securely and accurately.
HTTPS
If you are accessing or entering data on a website, it’s important to make sure that the website itself is secure. You should look for a URL that begins with https (rather than just http). When you get an email that asks you to click a link, be hesitant. Stop and think. If possible, go to the website directly without clicking on the link and find the site itself.
Email Attachments & Malware
In addition, it’s important to be careful when opening attachments, especially if they come from someone you don’t know and if you aren’t expecting the email. Even when an email appears to come from somebody that you know you need to be cautious. Again if you aren’t expecting that email to come it may be indicative of something that contains malware or software that can create problems and give a third-party access to your information. It’s also important to keep updating your computer systems and your security system to make sure that you have the latest malware protection available.