In today’s day and age, the internet is becoming an integral part of our daily lives. From communication to investments, many choose the internet as their primary resource. Along with this new-found technology come new scams that can devastate a person’s credit and finances. Being aware of the current scams can help protect you from identity theft.
Phishing is a recent scam that seems to be invading e-mail accounts across the country. One way to protect against this scam is to learn the early warning signs. Typically, a person will receive an e-mail appearing to be from a trusted financial institution. The e-mail may not be in the “spam” folder. The e-mail will state that many of the accounts within the financial institution have been compromised and in order to protect you, they will need to “confirm” your account information. Along with the e-mail is an attached link for you to provide all your account information. Unfortunately, this is a perfect way for a thief to ascertain the data necessary to access your finances. Once they have this information, they are free to use it as they wish.
How can you protect yourself from this occurring? First, never respond to e-mails that ask for your personal or financial information. Second, if you are concerned about your account, contact the financial institution using a phone number you know to be genuine. Third, install anti-virus software along with a firewall to help keep these types of e-mails from making it to your “in-box.” Finally, if you have received or fallen victim to a phishing scam, close your account immediately and contact the Federal Trade Commission online at: ftc.gov/idtheft or by phone: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338). You can also contact the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s office at: 815-334-4159 if you have any questions.
Louis Bianchi
McHenry County States Attorney
