Resources/Guides

Check Fraud  

• Is the check from an item you sold on the Internet, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc, more than the item’s selling price?
• Did you receive the check via overnight delivery?
• Is the check connected to communicating with someone by email?
• Is the check drawn on a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?
• Have you been informed that you were the winner of a lottery, such as Canadian, Australia, El Gordo, or El Mundo that you did not enter?
• Have you been instructed to "wire", "send" or "ship money", as soon as possible, either within the U.S. or outside the country?
• Have you been asked to pay money to receive a deposit from another country?
• Are you receiving pay of a commission for facilitating money transfers through your account?
• Did you respond to an email requesting you to confirm, update, or provide your account number?
  
  

Personal Computer Security

• Avast! Home Edition
• AVG
• Malwarebytes

• Install an antivirus program and configure it to update its virus definitions daily.
• Configure your computer and connection to the internet properly. Some computer systems come with a lot of security enabled by default, but have someone who knows what they're doing check the configuration of your computer and other communications equipment —wireless routers, DSL or cable modems, etc.
• Turn on automatic software updates. This is a feature of some software which allows it to patch itself with very little effort from you. Make sure it's turned on for your operating system, security software, and any applications that have the option.
• Be aware of your Internet surroundings. Learn to tell scams from real email, and when not to follow links or open a document. It takes time and practice to develop Internet “street smarts.”
• Perform regular backups. If your system becomes infected with a virus, you may have to reinstall your complete system. Backups ensure you don't lose your data if that becomes necessary.

Business email compromise (BEC) — also known as email account compromise (EAC)—is one of the most financially damaging online crimes. It exploits the fact that so many of us rely on email to conduct business—both personal and professional.

In a BEC scam, criminals send an email message that appears to come from a known source making a legitimate request, like in these examples:

• A vendor your company regularly deals with sends an invoice with an updated mailing address.
• A company CEO asks her assistant to purchase dozens of gift cards to send out as employee rewards. She asks for the serial numbers so she can email them out right away.
• A homebuyer receives a message from his title company with instructions on how to wire his down payment.

Versions of these scenarios happened to real victims. All the messages were fake. And in each case, thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of dollars were sent to criminals instead.

How Criminals Carry Out BEC Scams 

A scammer might:

• Spoof an email account or website. Slight variations on legitimate addresses (john.kelly@examplecompany.com vs. john.kelley@examplecompany.com) fool victims into thinking fake accounts are authentic.
• Send spearphishing emails. These messages look like they’re from a trusted sender to trick victims into revealing confidential information. That information lets criminals access company accounts, calendars, and data that gives them the details they need to carry out the BEC schemes.
• Use malware. Malicious software can infiltrate company networks and gain access to legitimate email threads about billing and invoices. That information is used to time requests or send messages so accountants or financial officers don’t question payment requests. Malware also lets criminals gain undetected access to a victim’s data, including passwords and financial account information.
  

  
  

• How to Report 

  If you or your company fall victim to a BEC scam, it’s important to act quickly:

  • Contact your financial institution immediately and request that they contact the financial institution where the transfer was sent.
  • Next, contact your local FBI field office to report the crime.
  • Also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

  How to Protect Yourself 

  • Be careful with what information you share online or on social media. By openly sharing things like pet names, schools you attended, links to family members, and your birthday, you can give a scammer all the information they need to guess your password or answer your security questions.
  • Don’t click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message asking you to update or verify account information. Look up the company’s phone number on your own (don’t use the one a potential scammer is providing), and call the company to ask if the request is legitimate.
  • Carefully examine the email address, URL, and spelling used in any correspondence. Scammers use slight differences to trick your eye and gain your trust.
  • Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don't know, and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
  • Set up two-factor (or multi-factor) authentication on any account that allows it, and never disable it.
  • Verify payment and purchase requests in person if possible or by calling the person to make sure it is legitimate. You should verify any change in account number or payment procedures with the person making the request.
  • Be especially wary if the requestor is pressing you to act quickly.

  
  

  Information provided by the Federal Bureau of Information. Reach out to your FNB banker for more information about how to secure your accounts.