What is a phishing email?

Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

It only takes a few minutes to “spoof” an email so that it appears as if it came from another person. This makes spoofed emails a quick and easy way to steal confidential information such as passwords.

How can you protect yourself from phishing emails?

Never open attachments or click on links from individuals you do not know.

Before answering any questions, ask yourself if your bank’s policy allows the type of information in question to be shared.

If an email looks odd, out of character for the individual sending the message or contains excessive spelling or grammatical errors, be cautious. Confirm the email is legitimate by contacting the sender, especially if the message is requesting information, asking you click on a link in the email or requests you install software on your pc.

Do not give out any customer or personal information, including usernames and passwords, via email.

What should you do if you believe you’ve received a phishing email?

If you receive a message that you think may be a Phishing email, don’t click on any links or attachments in the message. Confirm the validity of the email with the sender. If the email is not from the sender, contact your technical support department so that they are aware that a phishing attempt has been made.