Consumers should beware of fraudulent websites and emails that attempt to trick individuals into divulging valuable personal information such as bank account and credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, and personal identification numbers (PINs).

Online Fraud: Phishing

A typical phishing scam starts with a fraudulent email. The email sender and subject line claims to be from a legitimate, trusted source such as a bank, mortgage officer, credit card company, web retailer, or even a regulatory agency. Sometimes thieves use a pop-up message or a linked website with the name and logo of a legitimate company or government agency. The thieves ask you to "verify" or "resubmit" personal information that — if you provide it — can be used to make unauthorized withdrawals from your bank account or to pay for online purchases using your credit card. Thieves might even sell your personal information to other thieves.

A new type of phishing attack is particularly hard to identify and can result in stolen personal data, even if the recipient of the fraudulent email is not fooled by the email itself. When you open this email, a phishing program is placed on your personal computer. The next time that you visit your bank’s legitimate website, the phishing program redirects you to a fraudulent website that appears to belong to the bank. Even computer-savvy online banking customers are vulnerable to this type of attack.

Through a service called RSA® eFraudNetwork™ — powered by RSA Security, a leading Internet security company — we are actively monitoring unsolicited emails generated worldwide in order to detect those that are fraudulent and targeting our customers. Once identified, RSA Security then works with the authorities and global hosting partners to shut down the scamming website. Our aim is to help prevent our customers from falling victim to online scams, including phishing and pharming activities.

Stay Informed

Recent news articles have highlighted the proliferation of scams, customer identity theft and acts of fraud perpetrated on financial institutions and their customers. Fortunately, these crimes can be prevented through effective security measures and informed customers. We are committed to protecting your privacy by protecting our computer systems. In addition to our own security measures, one of the most effective methods for preventing fraud is an educated customer with an awareness of bank practices and current fraud and scam techniques.

Bank Practices

The Bank requires the disclosure of specific personal information when opening an account and before conducting certain transactions to validate and protect a customer’s identity. While it is often necessary for our personnel to ask for certain personal information when a customer calls, visits a branch, or sign into our website, we will never initiate a request for personal information through email or by an unsolicited phone call or personal contact. We will never initiate requests for a user id, passwords, account numbers, social security numbers, or ATM/debit card numbers or PINs. At no time will this information be requested via email through a reply or by directing a customer to a website.

Reporting Fraudulent Email or Phishing

If at any time you receive an unsolicited telephone call from a person who claims to be a representative of our bank and asks for personal or identifying account information, do not respond. Instead, please contact our Customer Service Center or call or visit an office near you. If you suspect that you have received a fraudulent email involving our bank, do not respond to it or click any link in the message. Please report your suspicion by forwarding the email to us at braphishing@northica.net with the Subject Phishing Suspected. Please use this email address only for forwarding suspicious email concerning our bank.