May 4, 2006

Memorandum

 

To:                   All U.S. Department of the Interior Employees

 

From:               Debra E. Sonderman

                        Director, Office of Acquisition and Property Management

 

Subject:            E-mail Scam Alert

 

What should I do if I receive an email from Bank of America asking me to provide information?

Bank of America will never randomly ask you to validate personal or account information via email or Internet link. 

 

ü  FORWARD the email to Abuse@BankofAmerica.com.  Bank of America Government Card Security Fraud may be reached on 800-472-1424.

 

What action should I take if I suspect an email from Bank of America or any other institution or organization may be fraudulent?

ü  DO NOT enter your personal information no matter how “real” the webpage or email may look.

ü  FORWARD the email to a known address of the company it appears to be from to validate its authenticity and/or to alert the organization so that      they may take appropriate action.

ü  DO NOT click on any hyperlinks in the suspect email.  Hyperlinks within emails are often cloaked or hidden.  The text you see as a hyperlink may             not be where the hyperlink takes you.

ü  INSTEAD, directly type in the URL in the Internet browser address bar or call the company on a contact number previously verified or known to             be genuine.

 

What should I do if I receive a phone call requesting information asking to confirm my personal information?

ü  DO NOT give out any information on a call you did not initiate.

ü  ASK the caller for his/her name and telephone number.  Call the company on a number you know to be genuine and confirm the caller’s request.

 

How can I tell if a website is secure?

Always look for “https” and a padlock on a site that requests personal information.  Information entered on an Internet website can be intercepted by a third party.  Websites that are secure protect against this activity.

 

Where can I get additional information regarding phishing scams?

Check http://www.fraudwatchinternational.com/main.shtml