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Phishing: What is it and how can you protect yourself?
| Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up email messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information. |
| AmTrust Direct will never ask you to provide any personal information in an email. We never include confidential personal or account information in any email we send to you. To guard your personal information, we maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal guidelines. |
| According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with - for example, your Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to "update" or "validate" your account information. It might threaten some dire consequence if you don't respond. The message directs you to a web site that looks just like that organization's site, but it isn't. The purpose of the bogus site? To trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name. |
| AmTrust Direct's systems have not been compromised as a result of any phishing scam. As stated earlier, we maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your information. But, it is equally important that you be aware of the existence of these phishing emails, and that you notify us of any suspicious email you might receive. |
| In order to help you feel absolutely certain that you are logging on to our website, we use a new personal security image. This is a picture that you choose from our library of images. You will also give the image a name – something that you can remember, but that would be difficult for someone else to guess. Going forward, every time you logon to our site, you will see your personal image and the name you gave it, guaranteeing you that you are logging on to our site. If you don’t see your image, do not continue and contact us immediately. |
| We only show you your personal security image and name if you login from a recognized computer or after you have answered some of your security questions. Therefore an unauthorized person will not have access to your image and the name you give it. |
| If you receive an email – from AmTrust Direct, or from anywhere else – requesting personal or account information, please treat it as fraudulent and do not respond to it. Instead, forward it to us at BankbyNet@amtrust.com. Or, you may call us at 888) 696-4444. |
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