Bank customers beware of scam e-mails

Local News

November 7, 2009

By Jeremy Pittari Picayune Item Sat Nov 07, 2009, 07:52 PM CST

PICAYUNE — Fraudulent e-mails are circulating that may be attempting to gather personal information or install malicious software on computers.

The Mississippi Bankers Association recently sent out a press release stating that e-mails have been circulating that allege that the customer’s bank has been found to be a failed bank.

In the e-mail, which has “Check your bank deposit insurance coverage” in the subject line, it is alleged that the bank the customer uses has been found to be a failed bank and the FDIC has taken control of its assets. The person is then asked to “visit the official FDIC website and perform the following steps to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage,” the release states. That message is not being sent by the FDIC and therefore the link does not go to that agency’s Web site.

Instead, a link to a malicious Web site is included in the e-mail that people are instructed to click on. Once on the malicious site the user is instructed to download and open “your personal FDIC Insurance file to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage,” the release states.

The release states that the e-mail and associated Web site are fraudulent and anyone receiving the message should not provide any personal information. The e-mail is considered to be an attempt to gain access to the banking customer’s online banking services or to use that information for identity theft purposes, the release states.

Jeff Theiler, senior vice president of payment services for Hancock Bank said while he is not aware of any Hancock Bank customers receiving the e-mail, he suggests that customers of any bank not provide information to unsolicited forms of communication. Theiler said Hancock Bank uses a surveillance system on its Web site to look for possible phishing attacks. When such threats are found, they are posted on the Web site for customers to see.

That service has cut short the length of phishing attacks by notifying people before the attack gets to them, thereby putting the attack out of commission.

“If we prepare, then we can stay ahead of the fraudsters,” Theiler said.

Representatives with other local banks did not respond to attempts to contact them by press time Friday afternoon. However, an IT employee with First National Bank and a representative with Bank Plus both said they had not heard of any customers receiving the e-mails.

Text Only

Local News

PMHS GRADUATION
Picayune Memorial High School held its graduation ceremony Thursday night where the school’s valedictorian Jared Christopher Bates, left, and salutatorian Bryce Austin Warden gave their speeches.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
POPLARVILLE GRADUATION
Poplarville High School held its graduation ceremony Thursday night where the school’s valedictorian Rebecca Starke, left, and salutatorian Meagan Whitworth gave their speeches to the graduating class, parents and friends.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
Local man paralyzed by juvenile shooting
Medical personnel were teaching a local man how to swallow again on Saturday after his spinal cord was severed by a .22 caliber bullet, fired by one of three juveniles, on Thursday.

May 26, 2012
Potential bridge replacement fund shortage draws discussion
Despite a lengthy agenda for Pearl River County supervisors Wednesday the board handled many of the items with a straight up and down 5-0 vote.

May 26, 2012
Glade Woods dies
Funeral services for Earl Glade Woods , 75 of Picayune, are Monday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Picayune. Woods passed away on Friday.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
MHP on patrol for holiday
Even though there has been a remarkable reduction in the number of fatalities in Mississippi over the past seven years, last year’s Memorial Day Weekend was particularly deadly.

May 26, 2012
POLICE MEMORIAL
City employees were out at the Picayune Police Department memorial Thursday morning doing some upgrades to it.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
ACCIDENT ACCIDENT — Emergency personnel responded to this accident Thursday morning on South Haugh Avenue.
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Supervisors support sales tax proposal
The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors unanimously supports District 1 Supervisor Anthony Hales proposal for a 1-percent county sales tax.
Hales had outlined his proposal at two earlier meetings of the board of supervisors and the other four members voiced their support for the idea at Wednesday’s meeting.

May 25, 2012
Lawrence sentenced to 57 months for child porn
Picayune native Clifford Lawrence has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for possession of child pornography.

May 25, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Bank customers beware of scam e-mails

Site Map

Contact Us