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How to Keep Your Information Safe

The holiday season is usually about goodwill toward one another, but there are Grinches out there who like to use the holidays to help them steal information, data, and even money.

All year long you want to be on the lookout for phishing emails that mimic shipping alerts from known brands like UPS, FedEx, USPS, and DHL. These messages often include familiar logos and language to fool recipients into thinking the emails are legitimate. In reality, they are designed to spread malicious software, steal money, and/or trick people into revealing their login passwords.

Be aware that while attacks like these happen year-round, they generally increase during the holiday shopping season.

Because phishing emails can closely resemble real notifications, it's important to remain vigilant and carefully check all shipping alerts before clicking a link or downloading an attachment.

Attackers who send fraudulent shipping notifications might try to:

• Fool you into downloading dangerous software
• Trick you into logging into a lookalike site in order to steal your password for the real site
• Steal your money or your organization's money

The Bottom Line

Want to know how to spot a scam? Your team at United is here to help! For more information on how you can help protect yourself, visit United Federal Credit Union’s Information Security page.