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Fraud Prevention
FMSI takes fraud prevention very seriously. By reviewing the information below, you can learn how to identify two common fraud methods used by scam artists and better protect yourself from becoming a victim.
E-Mail Fraud
E-mail fraud, also known as “phishing,” is a scam used to steal an individual’s identity through e-mail. This technique is used by scam artists, posing as legitimate companies, in an attempt to convince you to reply via e-mail or enter information into a fraudulent site to divulge personal financial information such as passwords and account numbers. Fraudulent e-mails commonly use generic urgent messages to lower your guard, such as:
- Your account will be closed unless your information is updated.
- The company needs to verify your identity because your account appears to have been used by a third party in violation of the law.
- Because systems were updated, you’ll need to reactivate your account.
- Users are required to identify themselves due to recent law changes.
- You’re required to verify your account information due to new security measures
put in place to protect your account from identity theft.
To increase their credibility, scam artists may also use authentic logos, names of real people and links to real Web pages.
Phony Web Sites
Phony Web sites may be used in conjunction with e-mail scams to trick you into providing your personal financial information. Scam artists will create a Web page or Web site that appears similar to a legitimate Web site. Phony sites often use a URL that is similar to that of a legitimate site, contains a common misspelling of the company’s name, or adds a word or symbol before or after the name. You may receive the phony Web address in an e-mail or you may reach the phony site by accidentally mistyping the address of a legitimate site.
Protecting Your Information
Keep in mind the following items to protect your information against phishing and Web site fraud:
- FMSI will never send you an e-mail requesting personal information such as a Social Security number, debit card or account number(s). Also, FMSI will never send you an e-mail stating that you must update your information or your account will be deactivated.
- If you receive an e-mail that appears it was sent from FMSI requesting personal financial information or directing you to a Web site to enter your private information, report this activity by contacting FMSI through our corporate Web site or by calling (800) 662-8452.
If you reach a Web site that appears to be a fraudulent FMSI site or are ever in doubt of our site’s integrity, please contact First Midwest Securities Online Support directly by calling (800) 662-8452.
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