In the wake of the recent “WannaCry” ransomware attacks that have made news headlines around the globe, BankFive would like to remind its customers about the importance of staying vigilant and alert online. Here are some tips for avoiding ransomware attacks, and other email phishing schemes.
- If you receive an email from someone you don’t know, and weren’t expecting such an email, open it with caution. You should always be suspicious of emails from an unrecognized source.
- Never click on any links, or open any attachments, in an email from an unknown sender.
- Be sure to read all emails carefully, and be on the lookout for any misspelled words or poor grammar. Oftentimes, this can be a sign of a phishing email.
- Phishing emails will commonly contain time-based deadlines or threats. Seeing this type of messaging in an email should be a red flag.
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably is! If you didn’t enter a contest, you probably didn’t win one. Don’t be fooled by an email that contains suspicious offers or enticements. And if you receive a check you weren’t expecting, don’t deposit it. Never consider conducting a banking transaction for people you don’t know.
- Any time you receive an email requesting that you provide personal or financial information, be wary. The government, and most companies that you do business with will never ask for sensitive information via email. BankFive will never contact you by email for such information. If you’re concerned that a company does need information from you, call them up at a number you know is theirs (don’t trust a phone number provided in the email). They should be able to either confirm or deny the legitimacy of the email you received. And remember that BankFive will never call you to ask for your account information either!
- If you ever do follow a link in an email, NEVER enter any passwords, user IDs or other personal information on the site you reach. A common tactic used in phishing scams is to “spoof” a legitimate web page so that users think they’re on an authentic website. If you get an email from your bank or another company prompting you to log into your account, don’t use a link in the email. You’re better off typing the site’s web address directly into your browser, or using a previously created bookmark to access the site. That way, you’ll know you’re entering your information on the real one.
For more information on how to stay safe online, visit our Fraud Prevention page.