Please note:
Geddes Federal Savings and Loan Association does not ask for your personal, financial or account information via telephone, email or pop-up window. If you receive a request asking for such information, please do not respond and never click on a link contained in a suspicious email. If you suspect that you have provided personal information via telephone or online in response to a fraudulent email, pop-up or phone Web site claiming to be Geddes Federal Savings and Loan Association, notify us immediately at (315) 468-6281 or (1) (888) 468-6281.
Phishing
There's a new type of Internet piracy called "phishing." It's pronounced "fishing", and that's exactly what these thieves are doing:"fishing" for your personal financial information. What they want are account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit cards.
In the worst case, you could find yourself a victim of identity theft. With the sensitive information obtained from a successful phishing scam, these thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver's licenses in your name.
They can do damage to your financial history and personal reputation that can take years to unravel.
Here is how phishing works:
In a typical case, you'll receive an email that appears to come from a reputable company that you recognize and do business with, such as your financial institution. In some cases, the e-mail may appear to come from a government agency, including one of the federal financial institution regulatory agencies.
The e-mail will probably warn you of a serious problem that requires your immediate attention. It may use phrases such as "Immediate attention required", or "Please contact us immediately about your account." The e-mail will then encourage you to click on a button to go to the institution's Web site.
In a phishing scam, you could be re-directed to a phony Web site that may look exactly like the real thing. Sometimes, in fact, it may be the company's actual Web site. In those cases, a pop-up window will quickly appear for the purpose of harvesting your financial information.
In either case, you may be asked to update your account information or to provide information for verification purposes: your Social Security number, your account number, your password, or the information you use to verify your identity when speaking to a real financial institution, such as your mother's maiden name or your birthplace.
If you provide the requested information, you may find yourself the victim of identity theft.
How to Protect Yourself
- Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request.
Where it is over the phone or over the internet. E-mails and Internet pages created by phishers may look exactly like the real thing. They may even have a fake padlock icon that ordinarily is used to denote a secure site. If you did not initiate the communication, you should not provide any information. - If you believe that contact may be legitimate, contact the financial institute yourself.
You can find phone numbers and Web sites on the monthly statements you receive from your financial institution, or you can look the company up in the phone book or on the Internet. The key is that you should be the one to initiate the contact, using contact information that you have verified yourself. - Never provide your password over the phone or in response to an unsolicited Internet request. Geddes Federal Savings and Loan would never ask you to verify your account information online. Thieves armed with this information and your account number can help themselves to your savings.
- Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct.
If your account statement is late arriving, call your financial institution to find out why. If your financial institution offers electronic account access, periodically review activity online to catch suspicious activity.
What to do if you fall victim:
- Contact your financial institution immediately and alert it to the situation.
- If you have disclosed sensitive information in a phishing attack, you should also contact one of the three major credit bureaus and discuss whether you need to place a fraud alert on your file, which will help prevent thieves from opening a new account in your name. Here is the contact information for each bureau's fraud division.
- Equifax
800-525-6285
P.O. Box740250
Atlanta, GA 30374 - Experian
888-397-3742
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013 - TransUnion
800-680-7289
Fullerton, CA 92634 - Report all suspicious contacts to the Federal Trade Commission through the Internet here or by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT.