Identity Theft and Security

Fraud Alert
Fraudulent E-mails Claiming to be From the FDIC

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports of fraudulent e-mails that have the appearance of being from the FDIC.

The e-mails appear to be sent from various "@fdic.gov" e-mail addresses, such as "protection@fdic.gov," "admin@administration.fdic.gov," or "service@admin.fdic.gov."

They have various subject lines such as "Update for your banking account," "ACH and Wire transfers disabled," and "Banking security update."

The fraudulent messages state:

"Dear clients,

Your account ACH and Wire transactions have been temporarily suspended for your Security, due to the expiration of your security version. To download and install the newest Updates, follow this link. As soon as it is set up, your transaction abilities will be fully restored. Best regards, Online security department, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation."

These e-mails and links are fraudulent and were not sent by the FDIC. Recipients should consider these e-mails an attempt to collect personal or confidential information, or to load malicious software onto end users' computers. Recipients should NOT access the link provided within the body of the e-mails and should NOT install any related files or software updates.

Financial institutions and consumers should be aware that these fraudulent e-mails may be modified over time with other subject lines, sender names, and narratives. The FDIC does not directly contact bank customers, nor does the FDIC request bank customers to install software upgrades.

Information about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents, and other fraudulent activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 3501 North Fairfax Drive, CH-11034, Arlington, Virginia 22226, or transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov. Questions related to federal deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2011/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

How you can protect yourself

Never open an email or attachment from an unknown source.
Always use a reputable firewall, anti spyware/anti virus software and be sure that it is has been updated with the latest patches.
If you receive any type of unsolicited email or pop-up message that ask for any type of personal info, don’t respond to it and notify your Internet Service Provider.
If you suspect that your computer has been infected by a virus, the computer will need to be properly repaired before it can be used again.
For more recommendations and technical support for your specific computer and network contact your Internet Service Provider.

View more tips from the Fraud Department.

Be Aware of Fraudulent Messages in Your Inbox

“Phishing” is an e-mail scam that attempts to trick consumers into revealing personal information through fake Web sites or in a reply e-mail. Here are a few tips to help you avoid “Phishing” scams:

Be cautious. View any e-mail request for financial information or other personal data with suspicion.
Never respond to an unsolicited e-mail requesting you to Confirm, Update or Provide personal information (e.g. account number, credit or debit card number, Social Security number, online passwords or PIN).
Balance your accounts on a regular basis. Check your monthly statements to verify all transactions.
Always log off to end each Internet banking session. Do not use the Back button to exit any sites that you have logged into.

Remember, we will never ask for your personal info via e-mail.

If you have any concerns please call us or if you feel that you have been a victim of identity theft, please visit the FTC's ID Theft Website or call the FTC’s ID Theft Hotline at 1-877-ID-THEFT for information on how to proceed and how to file an identity theft complaint.