Other LanguagesToday's USA Today story about cybercrooks creating fake Web sites and malicious software to take advantage of economic anxiety comes as no surprise to us in the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. According to the story, current and former customers of JPMorgan Chase and Washington Mutual are being inundated with phishing attempts as Chase navigates an acquisition of Washington Mutual. I'd hedge a bet that cons will soon be targeting Countrywide borrowers, as well, if they aren't already.
The Federal Trade Commission called the situation a "Phish-erman's Special" and cautioned against responding to e-mail messages like these:
________________________________________
"We recently purchased ABC Bank. Due to concerns for the safety and integrity of our new online banking customers, we have issued this warning message... Please follow the link below to renew your account information."
________________________________________
"We recently acquired the mortgage on your home and are in the process of validating account information. Please click here to update and verify your information."
________________________________________
"During our acquisition of XYZ Savings & Loan, we experienced a data breach. We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below to confirm your identity."
________________________________________
Experts say people are antsy right now for information and therefore, may be more likely to click without thinking. So let us repeat our mantra: NEVER provide personal information in response to an e-mail message. Use caution when clicking on links or opening attachments, as well.
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions says banks and credit unions doing business here are insured. If you have questions about the safety of your deposits, see the DFI Web site.