Don't open that email from the FDIC…

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October 28th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

Because it isn't really from the FDIC. There has been a recent rash of phishing emails that appear to be sent by the FDIC. The emails say, "You have received this message because you are a holder of a FDIC-insured bank account. Recently FDIC has officially named the bank you have opened your account with as a failed bank, thus, taking control of its assets." The emails also ask recipients to download and open a "personal FDIC insurance file" to check their deposit insurance coverage. This download is certainly not an FDIC document, and is most likely some form of malware. The emails also contain links to malicious websites.

If you recieve an email that appears to be from the FDIC and prompts you to visit a website or download a file, delete it. Do not click on any links within the email and do not download any attachments. The FDIC is working to uncover the details of this scam, but in the meantime, recipients are instructed to "consider the intent of the software as a malicious attempt to collect personal or confidential information, some of which may be used to gain unauthorized access to online banking services or to conduct identity theft."

To protect yourself from this and other phishing scams, be cautious when downloading attachments or clicking on links in any unexpected email from an unknown source. These emails often appear to be from banks or other trusted institutions. You should also be sure to install Internet security software on your computer, and you may wish to consider investing in identity theft protection, since identity theft is often the ultimate goal of phishing scams.