Understanding Cyber Fraud

A computer infected with malware could be used to steal sensitive files from your PC, access your online banking log-in credentials, or to commit identity theft. Understanding how malware can get on your PC is the first step in protecting your PC from becoming infected in the first place.

Another common threat involves the use of Social Engineering (pretending to be someone you are not) to steal sensitive information from individuals. This is also known as phishing, a data-snatching technique that puts you at risk for identity theft and fraud.

The main avenue for this threat is through unsolicited e-mail, text messaging, and phone calls. If you receive an unsolicited request for sensitive information, do not provide it without first verifying the request is legitimate.

For example, if you receive an email from an organization requesting your personal information, you should not reply to the email. Instead, you should call the organization directly to confirm if the email is legitimate.

If you receive an phone call from an organization requesting you to either confirm or provide personal information, you should not share any information over the phone.

Note: People's United Bank will never call, email or text you unsolicited asking you to provide, verify, or update passwords, usernames or access codes, or account information such as Social Security Number, Account Number, Credit Card Number, or other personal information.

The more you know about today's threats, the better prepared you are to defend against them.