Phishing Alert: Fraudulent Email Claiming to be from NACHA (7/22/2010)
NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association has received reports that individuals and/or companies have received a fraudulent email that has the appearance of having been sent from NACHA. See example below.
The subject line of the email states: “Unauthorized ACH Transaction.” The email includes a link that redirects the individual to a fake web page and contains a link that is almost certainly an executable virus with malware. Do not click on the link and delete the email. Both the email and the related website are fraudulent.
If you clicked on the link in the email, please contact Northrim's Customer Service Center immediately.
Be aware that phishing emails frequently have links to web pages that host malicious code and software. Do not follow web links in unsolicited emails from unknown parties or from parties with whom you do not normally communicate, or that appear to be known but are suspicious or otherwise unusual.
NACHA itself does not process nor touch the ACH transactions that flow to and from organizations and financial institutions. NACHA does not send communications to individuals or organizations about individual ACH transactions that they originate or receive.
If malicious code is detected or suspected on a computer, consult with a computer security or anti-virus specialist to remove malicious code or re-install a clean image of the computer system.
Always use anti-virus software and ensure that the virus signatures are automatically updated. Ensure that the computer operating systems and common software applications security patches are installed and current. Be alert for different variations of fraudulent emails.
Example of Fraudulent Email
From: Information
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 8:27 AM
To: Doe, John
Subject: Unauthorized ACH Transaction
Dear bank account holder,
The ACH transaction, recently initiated from your bank account, was rejected by the Electronic Payments Association. Please review the transaction report by clicking the link below:
Unauthorized ACH Transaction Report
Copyright©2009 by NACHA - The Electronic Payments Association
Online Security
If you use email and the internet, your information could be at risk. In 2008, more than 275,000 complaints of internet crime were reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the National White Collar Crime Center and the FBI. Alaska had the highest per-capita rate of complaints in the U.S., with three times as many complaints per capita as the next highest state.
Northrim Bank has invested in making our online banking services secure and reliable; however, your online banking is only as secure as the computer you use to access it.
How can you protect your computer systems, and your data, at home and at work?
Here are five ways to start:
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Make sure your computer software is up to date. This includes Operating System (Windows, Linux, or Mac), applications (Office, Internet Explorer, Safari) and plug-ins (Flash, Java, Windows Media). Most major software distributers have automatic updates that will keep your system protected.
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Install, and regularly update, reputable antivirus and anti-spyware software. Schedule your antivirus software to update automatically. Be wary of free antivirus software and clean-up tools from companies you've never heard of. They could in fact be malicious software that fixes one problem but creates many more.
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Use public computers with care. Do not access sites that require a personal logon, such as your online banking service, from a public computer.
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Guard your personal information. Use strong passwords with at least eight alphanumeric characters and special characters. Try not to use the same password on multiple sites. Never respond to emails or telephone calls with usernames, passwords, your social security number or other personal information. Northrim Bank already has this information so you do not need to tell them.
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Review your bank accounts regularly. Immediately report any suspicious activity to your financial institution.
Privacy Policy - We make sure that your personal information is protected and that you understand the policies that protect you.
Your Security - Information on identity theft prevention and detection from our Online Banking vendor, Digital Insight.
