American Savings Bank

Phishing (Identity Theft)

Don’t Fall Prey to "Phishers!"

1.	You receive a rather official-looking e-mail that appears to be sent by a trusted institution, such as your bank. It uses their logo and familiar colors.
2.	This e-mail uses formal business phrasing and tone. You are informed that you will need to inspect and update your records (often explained as a security measure, to disguise its harmful intention).
3.	The e-mail provides a convenient link that appears to directly route your reply to your trusted institution’s website.
4.	By clicking on the link, you access a web page that strongly resembles your trusted institution’s website (again, with the logo and familiar colors) and includes an online form for you to complete. Expert thieves often use familiar standard security measures such as a padlock graphic in the lower corner to present authenticity — a padlock graphic informs you that the website is secure, it does not verify that the recipient is whom you believe them to be. After completing the form, you click the submit button, believing your trusted institution will be receiving the correct sensitive information which you have provided. Unfortunately, the recipients of this form are scheming criminals, who have successfully impersonated your trusted institution.
5.	These criminals can use the information you have provided to access your accounts, spoil your credit rating, even steal your identity and worse.

American Savings Bank wants to help prevent you and the rest of our customers from falling victim to phishing. As a result, we will never initiate an e-mail and ask you to divulge any private information, including your account information. Rather, only after you have initiated contact with American Savings Bank will a legitimate representative require verification of account holder identity. So, we remind you to guard all your private data (Social Security numbers, bank account information, credit card numbers – including the three-digit CID verification code, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), passwords and other sensitive personal information). Never include such personal information in e-mail messages.

How Phishers Trick Victims into Supplying Personal Information — a diagrammed example

This sample visually shows how phishers misrepresent themselves to gain access to your personal information.

— PDF, 766 KB

Here's How You Can Fight Identity Theft

A message from the federal bank, thrift and credit union regulatory agencies.

— PDF, 354 KB