4.19.19

Don’t get fooled by fraudsters

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A woman wearing glasses drinking tea and using a Macbook sitting at a table.

One wrong click could compromise the security of your confidential business information and financial accounts; here are ways to thwart high-tech thieves.

Can your business stand up to attack from sophisticated con artists who are after information, goods or money they are not entitled to? While some phishing attacks are easy to spot because the scammers don’t even use spellcheck, other crooks use elaborate technology and tailored scripts that make them appear legitimate. Any business can be the target of fraudsters, but there are ways to thwart these high-tech thieves.

Be wary of emails requesting payment

Look closely at the domain in the email address. Is it really from a company you know and trust or is it a fake designed to look legitimate? Look for misspelled company names and characters added at the end of the domain name.

Another subtle tactic is to include a link with a real website name within a fake one. Do not click on suspicious links! Instead, check the link’s veracity by manually typing the URL into your browser to see if it goes where expected.

Be alert to language that creates a sense of urgency and implies a risk if you don’t respond quickly. This scammer tactic creates fear and can affect people’s ability to clearly evaluate the message.

Do not reply to unsolicited emails. Delete them.

Be wary of short URLs

There’s nothing inherently wrong with URL shorteners that abbreviate lengthy web addresses. However, they can be used to disguise a link to a fraudulent site.

If you’re uncertain about a link, don’t click on it! Instead, copy and paste into a URL checker like CheckShortURL. This service will provide information about the linked webpage including title, description, and author of the page.

Contact the requester directly

If you receive a request for payment by email or text, verify its validity without clicking on the links which could could compromise your security. Instead, check your online messages or call the vendor or bank directly.

In summary, if something looks or sounds fishy – don’t risk a click! Also, make sure everyone on your team knows how to identify suspicious emails and how to avoid the traps of high-tech thieves.

Do you have business banking questions? Contact our knowledgeable commercial loan officers or call 800-991-2221. We’re here to help you grow your business!

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