How to Guard Against ‘Phishing’

With the growing popularity of online banking, you are at greater risk than ever to identity theft. The fastest-growing form of identity theft is “phishing” – spam e-mails that prompt you to visit imposter Websites that ask for personal and financial data such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, credit card numbers, etc.

North Atlanta National Bank feels it is important to alert our customers to the danger of phishing and educate you on how to recognize the signs of these bogus e-mails and what you can do to protect yourselves.

How Phishing is Done
Here’s how phishing commonly works. E-mails claiming to be from NANB (or some other bank you may or may not have a relationship with) ask for updated personal or financial information regarding one or several of your accounts. Often, the e-mails warn that accounts will be shut down unless you provide the information. You are asked to click on an icon or link to be directed to the bank’s Website.

The link directs you to a fake Webpage that is mocked up to look exactly like the bank’s Website, or actually takes you to the bank’s Website, at which time a pop-up window comes up in front of your page. The phony Webpage or pop-up window asks you to divulge personal and financial information that the scam artists then collect and use to defraud you.

How to Protect Yourself
The best way to protect yourself is to stay current on how to recognize the signs of this scam and to adhere to protective guidelines published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Better Business Bureau, and the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG).

First, be aware of North Atlanta National Bank’s Website security policy (and the security policy of all institutions you do business with). Ours – a link from the Home Page and Account Access page – states a clear company policy that explains exactly how we interact with customers regarding their personal information, and what you should do if you suspect fraud. We regularly send our privacy statement and security policy to customers via direct mail as well, and attempt to further educate customers through pieces such as this article.

Top Anti-Phishing Tips
There are several key points that you should heed regarding phishing and identity theft protection (again, these tips cover all companies with which you do business):

• North Atlanta National Bank never asks our customers to update personal or financial information via e-mail, nor asks for such information via a pop-up window. You should never divulge personal or account information over the phone or on a Website unless you initiated the transaction and can verify with whom you’re dealing.
• Do not click on any suspicious links that purport to take you to a section of a Website. You should always type in the Web address manually; the link may be a fake.
• When you need to conduct online transactions, you should make sure the site is using encryption, which usually is demonstrated in at least one of two ways. You should look for a locked yellow padlock icon on your browser’s status bar (see example at right). The absence of this is a good indicator of an imposter Website. You can also check to see if the Internet address in the browser’s address field has changed from http: to https: (the “s” means “secure”).  
• Suspect e-mail should be deleted or sent to the FTC at www.uce@ftc.gov. If you believe you have been defrauded, you can file a complaint at www.ftc.gov.
• Call the phone number on our Privacy Policy, 678-277-8400, or e-mail us at www.nanb.com, if you have any questions or suspicions about correspondence seemingly coming from our institution.
• Routinely review your credit card and bank statements to check for unauthorized charges, as well as regularly review your credit report. (All three major credit bureaus now offer one free credit report every year; check out Experian, www.experian.com, Equifax, www.equifax.com, or TransUnion, www.transunion.com.)
• For additional guidance on how to protect yourself against phishing attempts, you can visit the FTC consumer help site at www.consumer.gov.