Consumer Alert: Holiday Scams and Malware Campaigns

‘Tis the season for family, faith, tradition…and,unfortunately, scammers. Make sure you are protecting you and your family during this holiday season.

Be sure to browse and shop online only on trusted websites. Emails and e-cards from unknown senders may contain malicious links. Fake advertisements or shipping notifications may deliver attachments infected with malware. Spoofed email messages and phony posts on social networking sites may request support for fraudulent causes.

To avoid seasonal campaigns that could result in security breaches, identity theft, or financial loss, users are encouraged to take the following actions:

• Avoid following unsolicited links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
• Learn more about Shopping Safely Online and Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks.
• Read the Federal Trade Commission’s blog: Holiday Shopping Tips from the FTC.
• Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information page on Charity Scams.

If you believe you are a victim of a holiday phishing scam or malware campaign, consider the following actions:

• File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
• Report the attack to the police and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission.
• Contact your financial institution immediately and close any accounts that may have been compromised. Watch for any unexplainable charges to your account.
• Immediately change any passwords you might have revealed and do not use that password in the future. Avoid reusing passwords on multiple sites. See Choosing and Protecting Passwords for more information.

Suspect you are a victim of online fraud?

• To report a suspicious email that uses Southern Bancorp’s name, forward it to us immediately at [email protected].
• To learn more about online fraud and prevention, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s ID Theft website .
• To report fraudulent activity not associated with Online Banking, please call your local police department immediately to report the incident.

To report fraudulent activity within Online Banking:

• Contact us immediately
• Visit your nearest Southern Bancorp location

Originally posted as Holiday Scams and Malware Campaigns on the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team website.