Protect Yourself From Phishing Attacks

Phishing is a cybercrime in which the attacker pretends to be a person or company that you know or trust. Their attack may come in the form of an email, text message or phone call and is designed to steal your personal information and ultimately, your money. Cyber criminals attempt to trick you into taking an action like clicking on a link or downloading a malicious attachment.

For example, you may receive an email that seems to be from Delta Community. It could include the Delta Community logo and a link to what appears to be the Delta Community website. But how can you tell what's real and what's a phishing attempt? Here are a few ways to identify phishing emails:

• Links that appear to be authentic Delta Community links but aren't. Before you click on a link, hover your cursor over it. Your email program will likely show you the true destination URL. The true URL may be obviously different from the typed link, or it may imitate a Delta Community web address. For example, the URL might be formatted as "deltacommunity.fakewebsite.com." But this URL is taking you to "fakewebsite.com," not to the official Delta Community website.
• Requests for personal information. Delta Community will never ask you to reply to an email or text with any personal information such as your Social Security number, card number or ATM PIN. 
• Urgent appeals. We will never threaten to close your account if you fail to confirm, verify or authenticate sensitive information via email or text.
• Offers that sounds too good to be true. While we do offer great rates and rewards at Delta Community, beware of lucrative promises. We will never ask you to provide your account number or login information in order to receive a refund or financial award.
• Typos. Be on the lookout for misspellings and grammatical errors. If the message reads awkwardly or the graphics are poorly designed, there's a strong chance the email is fraudulent.

Protect Your Mobile Device

Since smartphones are nearly as powerful as computers, it's important to take similar security precautions for both devices. Start by password protecting your phone and clearing data from your device periodically. Below are some additional tips to keep your mobile device secure:

• Avoid untrusted wireless networks. It's tempting to connect to public Wi-Fi at airports, cafes and hotels, but doing so could leave your phone or tablet vulnerable to hackers.
• Be on alert for scam calls. Scam artists typically use sensational tactics to coerce you into sending them money or giving them your financial information. For example, they might claim to be from the IRS and threaten you with arrest if you don't pay them immediately. Or they might pretend to be a friend of the family, asking for money to help a loved one who is ill or injured. To make matters worse, scammers are increasingly spoofing phone numbers to make them look familiar to you. They might use your area code or a phone number similar to your own in hopes you will be more likely to answer. Never give any personal information over the phone, and don't be fooled by their sense of urgency. Always take time to authenticate their story.
• Don't fall victim to fraudulent text messages. Text message scams, also known as SMSishing, have become more common in recent years. These fraudulent messages tend to alarm the recipient by making them believe their account has been compromised, and the me often includes a malicious phishing link. Delta Community will never ask for personal information via text message.
• Beware of fake mobile applications. A fake app may mimic the look or functionality of a legitimate app, but it is actually designed to infect your device and steal your personal information and other sensitive data. The best way to be sure an app is legitimate is to access it straight from the company's website.
• Protect children by closely monitoring their activities on smartphones and tablets.