 Threats to your personal information come from a myriad of sources in today’s world. One of the most common threats is called “phishing.” This threat occurs when someone attempts to acquire personal information such as your credit card numbers, bank accounts, username, password or social security number by pretending to be a legitimate trusted source. The threat is usually sent either through an email or instant messaging.
Once thieves gain your personal information, they can begin to steal your identity. If successful, it can be a substantial financial loss.
One technique thieves use to steal your information is to send emails requesting you to logon to a specific Web site to enter or update personal information. The Web site will be an almost exact copy of the true Web site.
Ensure the Web site name provided in the email exactly matches the Web site provided to you by the company. If there are any differences, use the company’s known Web site to request a verification of the email.
A second phishing technique is to state that your information has been lost and needs to be re-entered. They may ask that you confirm your information by responding to the email. Or, they may claim you have already been a victim of identity theft, and they need you to confirm the information they say has been stolen.
Do not respond to an email asking for personal information directly. Again, use the company Web site “contact us” email or call the company to verify the email request is legitimate.
A second type of identity theft is “pharming.” This technique uses viruses to load software onto your computer that gathers and sends personal information stored on your computer back to the thief’s computer. The safest way to eliminate this threat is to ensure your virus protection is updated on a routine basis.
In the past, stealing someone’s identity through phone conversations was a common practice. This technique is still used today. If someone asks you to dial a specific phone number to provide personal information, ensure that the phone number given is legitimate. If the phone number is different from information provided to you through past written correspondence with the company, verify the request is valid before calling the given phone number.
Indiana Farmers Mutual will never request this type of information through an email or phone correspondence, nor will the company send a new Web site link through email. If you have any concerns, regarding a phone call or email that appears to be from Indiana Farmers Mutual, please click here to email the company directly or call 1-800-666-6460.
Additional information concerning identity theft can be found at the following links:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/tech.shtm
www.consumer.gov/idtheft
www.fraud.org
www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html
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