| Dear Bank of the West customer, the
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| | designed to steal your identity?
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| message begins. Ive just received an
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| | There are several tips to help identify
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| e-mail message, purportedly from the
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| | phishing expeditions. The first is the
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| security department at the Bank of the
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| | greeting. Dear valued customer is an odd
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| West. The message explains that certain
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| | greeting from a company that has a
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| features of my account have been
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| | database that contains your name,
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| suspended due to suspicious activity on
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| | address, Social Security number and
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| my account. The message then provides a
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| | credit card. Any company with whom you do
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| link that I can follow in order to fill
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| | business that legitimately wants to
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| out an online form confirming my
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| | contact you will probably do so by name.
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| identity. Its certainly nice that Bank of
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| | Look for misspelled words. Phishing
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| the West is worried about the status of
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| | expeditions often come from foreign
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| my account. Theres just one problem I
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| | senders who often mangle the English text
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| dont have an account at Bank of the West.
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| | of the message rather badly, combining
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| In fact, Ive never even heard of Bank of
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| | both bad grammar and bad spelling. Check
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| the West.
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| | the links in the messages. The link may
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| This message is an example of phishing, a
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| | say but if you move your mouse over the
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| relatively new problem found on the
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| | link, you may see something like htttp:/
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| Internet. Unscrupulous individuals are
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| | 200.118.105 on the bottom line of your
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| sending spam e-mail messages by the
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| | e-mail program, indicating that the link
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| millions, purporting to be from credit
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| | is a fake. Should you click on the link,
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| card companies, PayPal, eBay, or banks.
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| | youll be taken to a page that looks just
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| Each message warns the recipient of
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| | like the real Website, but why take the
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| questionable activity on his or her
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| | chance?
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| account, as asks that the recipient click
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| | If you need to contact your bank, credit
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| on a link to verify personal information.
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| | card company, or online auction house,
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| The requested information is usually a
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| | either go to their Website directly or
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| username or password. Sometimes its a
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| | call them. Never click on a link in a
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| credit card number and expiration date.
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| | message that threatens you with account
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| These messages are almost always
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| | suspension; if a company with whom you do
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| fraudulent, and consumers are falling for
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| | business has issues with your account,
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| them by the thousands. The messages
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| | they will probably contact you by phone
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| certainly look legitimate, and often
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| | or mail. These individuals who use these
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| mimic the style of the legitimate
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| | phishing tips are getting more clever all
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| companys messages exactly. How can you
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| | the time. It pays to be suspicious. If
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| tell the difference between a real
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| | you arent, you may end up a victim of
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| message from your bank and a fake one
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| | identity theft.
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