Laconia Savings Bank is warning consumers about the dangers of phishing scams. Phishing is a new twist on an old telemarketing scam that uses email. These criminals send emails to millions of people hoping that even a few will give away valuable personal information.
“Consumer education is the most powerful weapon in the fight against phishing,” says Thomas Garfield, Executive Vice President of Consumer Services for Laconia Savings Bank. “These criminals first steal the identity of a trusted company. Then using that identity they threaten the consumer with dire consequences if they do not act immediately.”
To avoid becoming the victim of a phishing scam, Laconia Savings Bank offers the following tips:
- Never give out your personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax or email, no matter how official it may seem.
- Do not respond to email that may warn of dire consequences. Contact the company to confirm the email's validity using a. telephone number or web address you know to be genuine.
- Check your credit card and bank account statements regularly and look for unauthorized transactions, even small ones. Some thieves hope small transactions will go unnoticed. Report discrepancies immediately.
- When submitting financial information online, look for the padlock or key icon at the bottom of your Internet browser. Most secure internet addresses, though not all, use "https".
- Report suspicious activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.
- If you have responded to an email, contact your bank immediately so they can protect your account and your identity.
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