“Phishing” & “Pharming”

“Phishing”
Phishing is the practice of deceiving unsuspecting customers into providing personal financial information such as account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers and the like that are then used to commit fraud and/or steal from the customer’s accounts or credit cards.

Important Information about “Phishing”

1. SPAM e-mails that appear to come from a reputable company or government agency create a sense of urgency to lure customers into providing this information which may be used to steal the customer’s identity.
2. Customers are advised to never give out confidential financial information in response to an unsolicited e-mail. Remember, First Fidelity Bank does not request confidential financial information via e-mail.
3. Customers should be cautious about e-mailing personal or financial information since e-mail IS NOT a secure communication channel.

“Pharming”
Pharming is a relatively new term to describe the practice of website redirection. Fraudsters can hijack, or steal, a company’s website name, or redirect unknowing users to phony websites where they collect confidential data. Several industries have been attacked using pharming techniques. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued guidance to financial institutions related to protecting and securing website domain names as one method to prevent pharming attacks.

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