Undoubtedly the Internet has greatly enhanced various aspects of our lives. It has changed the way we learn, the way we communicate and certainly the way we transact business. Because of its availability and convenience, the Internet has also made it easier than ever before to obtain information, learn about a recent event or a new place or to simply manage your household finances at any hour of the day or night.

Unfortunately, there are always some who will take advantage of new opportunities like the Internet to commit fraud. As an internet user you need to be extremely careful of such things as unsolicited e-mails (spam) from unknown senders who want you to send them your personal information. E-mail is not a secure form of communication and you should never include any of your confidential information in an e-mail. Also, just because an e-mail looks like it is legitimate doesn't mean that it is. Internet savvy perpetrators are experts at using legitimate company's logos and website addresses to create fakes that look and sound like the real thing.

What is identity theft and how does it occur?

Identity theft is the unlawful use of another person’s personal information such as social security number, credit card number, date of birth and mother’s maiden name to make illegal purchases, withdrawals, or open new accounts in your name. Some of the most common methods of identity theft include credit card or other financial institution fraud, phone or utility service theft, and the taking of government documents or benefits. One way in which you can help stop these activities and make our financial institutions safer is to protect your account information from thieves and unauthorized users.

Identity thieves will steal your personal information using the following tactics:

Below is a list of important agencies and numbers that you should contact if you believe you have been a victim of identity fraud.

Bank of Fall River
508-678-7655
Attorney General Tom Reilly's Consumer Hotline
617-727-8400
Federal Trade Commission Hotline
1-877-IDTheft
Massachusetts Bankers Association
617-523-7595
Office of Consumer Affairs Hotline
617-727-7780 or 888-283-63757
The Credit Reporting Bureaus/Fraud Departments:
Equifax
P.O. Box 15069
Atlanta, GA 30348
800-270-3435
800-525-6285
Experian
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
888-397-3742
800-525-6285
Transunion
P.O. Box 679
Fullerton, CA 92634
800-680-7289

What are “Phishing” and “Pharming”?

“Phishing” is the scam that uses spam (unsolicited e-mail) to lure consumers into disclosing sensitive personal information—such as social security numbers, account and routing numbers, credit card numbers, personal identification numbers, passwords, and other private data. The unsolicited e-mails will appear to be from a legitimate business and in most cases hackers will choose a business that you are familiar with, such as a financial institution, credit card company, or insurance company. The e-mail will often ask you to “update” or “validate” your billing information to keep your account active. To further entice you, hackers will even direct you to a web site that looks identical to the legitimate web site—with the same logos, colors, and designs. All of which is simply an attempt to get consumers to submit their personal information to the impostors, who then uses that personal data to commit identity theft.

"Pharming" is when criminal hackers redirect Internet traffic from one Web site to a different, identical-looking site in order to trick you into entering your user name and password into the database on their fake site. With this information, hackers will then be able to gain access to your bank accounts, steal your identity, or commit other kinds of fraud in your name. Pharming scams are considered more dangerous than e-mail phising, since you can be redirected to a false site without any participation or knowledge on your part. The false Web sites used in pharming scams usually "spoof" their links so that they look exactly like the ones you expect to see, even in the code that appears when you mouse over them. Signs of a potential pharming site include:

What can you do to protect yourself from internet fraud?

1. Never provide any personal information, including you Social Security number, account numbers or passwords in response to an unsolicited internet request or phone call.
2. Do not open any e-mails from senders you do not recognize.
3. Never access a website from a link provided in an e-mail.
4. Never reply to an e-mail that asks for personal information or is marked “urgent” or “time sensitive”.
5. Change your password every 60 days.
6. Do not use the same user name and password for multiple accounts.
7. Review your account statements regularly and watch for any unusual activity.
8. Keep your computer updated with the latest version of anti-virus software.
9. Increase the security setting on your browser to prompt you whenever a web site attempts to install a new program.
10. Avoid downloading software from unknown sources.
11. Maintain all patches to your operating system and browser.
12. Be aware that fraudulent e-mails are often badly written and include misspellings and poor grammar.
13. Shred all documents that contain your Social Security number or bank account number.
14. Use a U.S. Postal Service drop box rather than your curb side mailbox when mailing bill payments or other personal information.
15. Contact your creditors if you are not receiving your billing statements in a timely fashion.
16. Obtain your credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus.

Please remember that Bank of Fall River will never request or confirm any customer’s personal information via e-mail. We strongly encourage you not to respond to any e-mails from anyone seeking your personal information. If you are ever suspicious that you were contacted by someone pretending to be from Bank of Fall River, we ask that you contact our Security Officer immediately at (508) 678-7655.