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Privacy Statement GBB Security Statement Internet Security Identity Theft Prevention
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Gateway Business bank will never solicit its customers to provide or verify Access IDs, Passwords, Social Security Numbers or other sensitive confidential information used to verify identity (such as: Mother's Maiden Name, Date of Birth, Driver's License Number...etc.)

Phishing

There's a new type of Internet piracy called "phishing." It's pronounced "fishing," and that's exactly what these thieves are doing: "fishing" for your personal financial information. What they want are account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit cards.

In the worst case, you could find yourself a victim of identity theft. With the sensitive information obtained from a successful phishing scam, these thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver's licenses in your name. They can do damage to your financial history and personal reputation that can take years to unravel. but if you understand how phishing works and how to protect yourself, you can help stop this crime.

Here's how phishing works:
In a typical case, you'll receive an e-mail that appears to come from a reputable company that you recognize and do business with, such as your financial institution. In some cases, the e-mail may appear to come from a government agency, including one of the federal financial institution regulatory agencies.

The e-mail will probably warn you of a serious problem that requires your immediate attention. It may use phrases such as "Immediate attention required," or "Please contact us immediately about your account." The e-mail will then encourage you to click on a button or link to go to the institution's Web site.

In a phishing scam, you could be redirected to a phony Web site that may look exactly like the real thing. Sometimes, in fact, it may be the company's actual Web site. In those cases, a pop-up window will quickly appear for the purpose of harvesting your financial information.

In either case, you may be asked to update your account information or to provide information for verification purposes: your Social Security number, your account number, your password, or the information you use to verify your identity when speaking to a real financial institution, such as your mother's maiden name or your place of birth.

If you provide the requested information, you may find yourself the victim of identity theft.

How to Protect Yourself from falling victim to phishing scams
  1. Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it is over the phone or over the Internet. E-mails and Internet pages created by phishers may look exactly like the real thing. They may even have a fake padlock icon that ordinarily is used to denote a secure site. If you did not initiate the communication, you should not provide any information.
  2. If you believe the contact may be legitimate, contact the financial institution yourself. You can find phone numbers and Web sites on the monthly statements you receive from your financial institution, or you can look the company up in a phone book or on the Internet. The key is that you should be the one to initiate the contact, using contact information that you have verified yourself.
  3. Never provide your password over the phone or in response to an unsolicited Internet request. A financial institution would never ask you to verify your account information online. Thieves armed with this information and your account number can help themselves to your savings.
  4. Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct. If your account statement is late in arriving, call your financial institution to find out why. If your financial institution offers electronic account access, periodically review activity online to catch suspicious activity.

What to do if you fall victim:

  • Contact your financial institution immediately and alert it to the situation.
  • If you have disclosed sensitive information in a phishing attack, or have detected Spyware on your computer, you should also contact one of the three major credit bureaus and discuss whether you need to place a fraud alert on your file, which will help prevent thieves from opening a new account in your name. Here is the contact information for each bureau's fraud division:

    Equifax
    800.525.6285
    P.O. Box 740250
    Atlanta, GA 30374

    Experian
    888.397.3742
    P.O. Box 1017
    Allen, TX 75013

    TransUnion
    800.680.7289
    P.O. Box 6790
    Fullerton, CA 92634
     
  • Report all suspicious contacts to the Federal Trade Commission through the Internet at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or by calling 1.877.IDTHEFT.

Spyware

"Spyware," is a catchall phrase for unwanted or malicious files or programs placed on a user's computer without their explicit consent, including: Malware, Adware, scumware, system monitors, key-loggers, Trojan horses, and unwanted cookies. By definition, Spyware programs quietly collect information about a person or organization and report such data back to a third party. Spyware programs target usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, viewed URLs and other personal information. These programs are generally of two types: system-monitoring programs that capture visited websites, e-mails, etc.' and keystroke-logging applications that capture information typed on the keyboard.

Symptoms indicating that Spyware may be present on your computer:

  1. Your browser homepage has been changed
  2. Excessive pop-up ads
  3. New Toolbars in your browser
  4. PC is slow and applications do not start quickly
  5. Slow Internet access speed
  6. Frequent PC crashes
  7. Frequent SPAM

Risks Associated with Spyware

Users should be aware of the risks of Spyware on their own computers and any public computers they use (such as computers in hotels, libraries or Internet cafés) when connecting to online banking websites. Spyware increases the risk of compromising confidentiality by allowing attackers to eavesdrop and intercept sensitive communications, such as user IDs and passwords.

How to Protect Yourself from falling victim to Spyware scams

  1. Regular scans of PC’s that access the Internet is critical to maintaining a computer’s health and in the prevention of infection by viruses and Spyware.
    1. Click here for Panda ActiveScan How To Guide
  2. Installing and periodically updating anti-Spyware, virus protection and use of a firewall.
    1. Click here for Spy Sweeper How To Guide
  3. Adjusting browser settings to prompt the user whenever a website tries to install a new program or Active-X control.
  4. Carefully reading all End User Licensing Agreements and avoiding downloading software when licensing agreements are difficult to understand.
  5. Maintaining patches to operating systems and browsers.
  6. Not opening e-mail from untrustworthy sources.
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