Fraud: Spoofing Explained
Hackers often try to take advantage of unsuspecting people by posing as their financial institution, referred to as spoofing. They often use common communication methods, such as phone calls, email or text messages.
They may look or sound like they’re coming from an Advancial number or email address, but it is better to be cautious and contact Advancial directly to verify the legitimacy of the communication.
An Advancial employee will never call, email or text you and ask for your personal information. If we contact you, we may ask some questions to verify your identity, but they will not involve your account numbers, personal identification number (PIN), social security number, online banking password or any other sensitive information.
Here are some key fraud words and definitions that can help shed some light on this type of fraud:
Phishing – A form of fraud in which an attacker masquerades as a reputable entity or person in email or other communication channels. The attacker uses phishing emails to distribute malicious links or attachments that can perform a variety of functions, including the extraction of login credentials or account information from victims.
Social Engineering – Techniques employed by cybercriminals designed to lure unsuspecting users into sending them their confidential data, infecting their computers with malware or opening links to infected sites.
Spoofing – Disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source. Spoofing can apply to emails, phone calls and websites, but can also be more technical. Spoofing can be used to gain access to a target’s personal information or spread malware through infected links or attachments.
Fraudsters will try to exploit a consumer’s trust and catch you when you’re unsuspecting. Stay alert, and if something seems fishy, it probably is!
If you receive a call, text or email from someone claiming to be an Advancial representative and that person begins to ask you questions about your personal information (i.e., your card number, pin number, password, account information), immediately cease the communication, do not respond or click any links, and contact Advancial directly at 1.800.322.2709 or msc@advancial.org.
They may look or sound like they’re coming from an Advancial number or email address, but it is better to be cautious and contact Advancial directly to verify the legitimacy of the communication.
An Advancial employee will never call, email or text you and ask for your personal information. If we contact you, we may ask some questions to verify your identity, but they will not involve your account numbers, personal identification number (PIN), social security number, online banking password or any other sensitive information.
Here are some key fraud words and definitions that can help shed some light on this type of fraud:
Phishing – A form of fraud in which an attacker masquerades as a reputable entity or person in email or other communication channels. The attacker uses phishing emails to distribute malicious links or attachments that can perform a variety of functions, including the extraction of login credentials or account information from victims.
Social Engineering – Techniques employed by cybercriminals designed to lure unsuspecting users into sending them their confidential data, infecting their computers with malware or opening links to infected sites.
Spoofing – Disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source. Spoofing can apply to emails, phone calls and websites, but can also be more technical. Spoofing can be used to gain access to a target’s personal information or spread malware through infected links or attachments.
Fraudsters will try to exploit a consumer’s trust and catch you when you’re unsuspecting. Stay alert, and if something seems fishy, it probably is!
If you receive a call, text or email from someone claiming to be an Advancial representative and that person begins to ask you questions about your personal information (i.e., your card number, pin number, password, account information), immediately cease the communication, do not respond or click any links, and contact Advancial directly at 1.800.322.2709 or msc@advancial.org.
