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"Phishing" e-mails are e-mail messages used to "lure" victims into providing various types of personal and confidential information such as passwords, Social Security numbers, and account numbers. The message will appear to be from a well-known business used by the victim, and will include a link to a counterfeit ("spoofed") website with a pop up window or a fraudulent automated 1-800 number to contact asking to you verify or update personal information.
Do not use the link in the e-mail. To prevent being "hooked," always confirm the request by calling the customer service number provided with your account statement or by typing in the "address" you normally use to access the website.
Sterling Savings Bank does not request personal information via e-mail or pop-up windows. If you receive suspicious e-mail claiming to be from Sterling, or if you have inadvertently given out your personal information, immediately contact your local Sterling Savings Bank branch and the FBI's Internet Fraud Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov.
To learn more about email fraud, please visit the Federal Trade Commission's website at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt127.htm.
Identity theft is the unlawful use of another person's information, such as Social Security number, name, date of birth, driver's license, etc., to either access current financial accounts or to open new loans, credit card or bank accounts, and much more. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft is the fastest growing and most far-reaching financial crime in the U.S. today.
To learn more about identity theft, including how your information is obtained, how to protect yourself, and how to report being a victim, please visit the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
If you are the victim of identity theft, immediately report the fraud to your local Sterling Savings Bank branch and the FBI's Internet Fraud Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov.
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