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Last Updated: Nov 25th, 2007 - 10:09:00

Identity Theft Continues to Rise, Financial Accounts Targeted

added October 25, 2006

We continue to see a rise in online identity theft cases, leading to the compromise of financial account information. In addition to banking accounts, we are observing increased activity targeting brokerage accounts. We remind users to remain cautious when receiving unsolicited email in order to avoid phishing and keylogger type attacks. We also emphasize the importance of preventative computer security measures to help avoid phishing and other types of attacks.

Individuals can help protect themselves by following these safeguards:

• Do not follow unsolicited web links received in email messages.
• Contact your financial institution immediately if you believe your account or financial information has been compromised.
• Verify the legitimacy of the email by contacting the company directly through a trusted contact number.
• Visit the Anti-Phishing Working Group for more information on known phishing attacks.

For additional information regarding phishing, we recommend reading the following documents:

1. Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks
2. Recognizing and Avoiding Spyware
3. Coordinating Virus and Spyware Defense