Stay Safe From Phishing

The main goal of a phishing e-mail is to get you to a site where you will provide your personal information. With these basic, but powerful, clues, you can easily recognize the threat and ensure the safety of your identity and finances.

• Does the e-mail ask you to go to a website and verify personal information? We won't ask you to verify your personal information in response to an e-mail
• What is the tone of the mail? Most phish e-mails convey a sense of urgency by threatening discontinued service or information loss if you don't take immediate action.
• What is the quality of the e-mail? Many phish e-mails have misspellings, bad grammar, or poor punctuation.
• Are the links in the e-mail valid? Deceptive links in phishing e-mails look like they are to a valid site, but deliver you to a fraudulent one. Many times, you can see if the link is legitimate by just moving your mouse over the link.
• Is the e-mail personalized with your name and applicable account information? Many phish e-mails use generic salutations and generic information (e.g. "Dear Customer" or "Dear Account Holder") instead of your name.
• What is the sender's e-mail address? Many phish e-mails come from an e-mail address not from the company represented in the e-mail.
• When in doubt, type it out. If you suspect an e-mail to be phishing, don't click on any links in the e-mail. Type the valid address directly into your web browser.

For the most up-to-date information, visit our "Security Center" located at combk.com.