Ansett
24 November 2005, 13:59
A statement from the Citibank website
- you can find the original here (https://web.da-us.citibank.com/cgi-bin/citifi/scripts/help_desk/help_desk_subtopic.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&BS_Id=HD_ST_097)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fraudulent e-mail?
A fraudulent (a.k.a. spoofing, imposter, or phishing e-mail) is one that has been forged so it looks like a legitimate e-mail from a particular organization (such as Citibank). It's goal? Usually to trick you into providing sensitive personal information that can be used for identity theft.
It's often hard to detect a fraudulent e-mail. That's because the e-mail address of the sender often seems genuine (such as support@citibank.com), as do the design and graphics. But there are telltale signs to be aware of. For example, fraudulent e-mails often try to extract personal information from you in one of two ways:
• By luring you into providing it on the spot (e.g., by replying to the e-mail)
OR
• By including links to a site that tries to get you to disclose personal data.
Has this happened at Citibank?
Although rare, fraudulent e-mails claiming to be from Citibank have been reported. While they haven't compromised Citibank's systems in any way, we take these incidents seriously and work with law enforcement agencies to investigate them. To see examples of some e-mail frauds that have been reported click here (http://www.citi.com/domain/spoof/learn.htm).
If you've received any of these e-mails, delete them immediately. If you've received suspicious e-mails purporting to be from Citibank, pleasenotify Customer Service right away.
How do I report a spoof e-mail?
Click here (http://www.citi.com/domain/spoof/reportspoof.htm) if you suspect that an e-mail claiming to be from Citibank is a fraud. We'll ask you to provide basic information about the e-mail and to give us your contact data, so we can reach you if we need details.
How can I be sure that I'm dealing with Citibank and not an imposter?
You can tell that you're dealing with Citibank because:
* Citibank will never send you an e-mail asking for your passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information.
* If we request information from you, we'll always direct you back to a Citibank site using links. These are for your convenience — you can also reach our site using your bookmarks or any of our published URLs.
* If you're required to enter personal information to perform a transaction, it's always done on a site secured with SSL technology — you can tell because there'll be a padlock icon at the bottom of your screen. Most important, if you click on the padlock, a security certificate will pop up. In it, there's a section that says "Issued to:" If it's really a Citibank site, then the URL will end in "citibank.com."
* If you use a link in an e-mail you receive from us, you can make sure that you are on a Citibank page by comparing the address of the site in the Address/Location area of your web browser to those in the table below.
* While we may provide more user-friendly URLs that are easy to remember — such as citibankonline.com or myciti.com — they always direct you to pages located at the URLs in the table below.
CITIBANK/CITIGROUP SITE URL WHERE YOU SIGN ON
Citibank Online or My Citi https://web.da-us.citibank.com/
Citibank Credit Cards https://www.citibank.com/us/cards/
Citibank Mortgage https://www.citimortgage.com/ or, https://www2.citimortgage.com/
Citibank Student Loans https://studentloan.citibank.com/
CitiBusiness Online https://citibusinessonline.da-us.citibank.com
Smith Barney Access https://www.smithbarney.com
How can I tell if an e-mail is from Citibank?
For your protection, at the top of every e-mail you receive from Citibank you'll see an "Email Security Zone" that includes your:
* First name
* Last name, and
* The last four digits your ATM/Debit Card number.
You should be suspicious of any e-mail you receive that claims to be from us but which does not include this information. Here is an example of what the E-mail Security Zone looks like.
http://radans.com/scambait/citibank.jpg
How can I protect myself?
We want your online experience to be enjoyable and worry-free. That's why Citibank Online uses 128-bit secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption and other security procedures. We also want to make you aware of several simple security tips to keep in mind:
* Act quickly if you suspect fraud. If you believe someone is trying to commit fraud by pretending to be Citibank or another Citigroup business, please contact us immediately at 1-800-374-9700.
* Use a strong password. Choose passwords that are difficult for others to guess and use a different password for each of your online accounts. Use both letters and numbers and a combination of lower case and capital letters if the passwords or PINS are case sensitive.
* Change your Citibank Online Password often. You can do this quickly and easily by signing on and going to the Account Servicing area.
* Leave suspicious sites. If you suspect that a website is not what it purports to be, leave the site immediately. Do not follow any of the instructions it presents.
* Be alert for scam e-mails. These may appear to come from a trusted business or friend, but actually are designed to trick you into downloading a virus or jumping to a fraudulent website and disclosing sensitive information.
* Don't reply to any e-mail that requests your personal information. Be very suspicious of any e-mail from a business or person that asks for your password, Social Security number, or other highly sensitive information--or one that sends you personal information and asks you to update or confirm it.
* Open e-mails only when you know the sender. Be especially careful about opening an e-mail with an attachment. Even a friend may accidentally send an e-mail with a virus.
* Be careful before clicking on a link contained in an e-mail or other message. The link may not be trustworthy.
* Do not send sensitive personal or financial information unless it is encrypted on a secure website. Regular e-mails are not encrypted and are more like sending a post card. Look for the padlock symbol on the bottom bar of the browser to ensure that the site is running in secure mode BEFORE you enter sensitive information.
* Do business only with companies you know and trust.
* Be aware! Phony "look alike" websites are designed to trick consumers and collect their personal information. Make sure that websites on which you transact business post privacy and security statements, and review them carefully.
* Make sure your home computer has the most current anti-virus software. Anti-virus software needs frequent updates to guard against new viruses. Make sure you download the anti-virus updates as soon as you are notified that a download is available.
* Install a personal firewall to help prevent unauthorized access to your home computer. This is especially important if you connect to the internet via a cable modem or a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.
* Monitor your transactions. Review your order confirmations, credit card, and bank statements as soon as you receive them to make sure you're being charged only for transactions you made. Immediately report any irregularities in your Citibank accounts by calling 1-800-374-9700.
Copyright © 2005 Citigroup Inc.
Quoted here by Fraudwatchers.org for the convenience of people new to the internet and/or in the process of being scammed.
- you can find the original here (https://web.da-us.citibank.com/cgi-bin/citifi/scripts/help_desk/help_desk_subtopic.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&BS_Id=HD_ST_097)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fraudulent e-mail?
A fraudulent (a.k.a. spoofing, imposter, or phishing e-mail) is one that has been forged so it looks like a legitimate e-mail from a particular organization (such as Citibank). It's goal? Usually to trick you into providing sensitive personal information that can be used for identity theft.
It's often hard to detect a fraudulent e-mail. That's because the e-mail address of the sender often seems genuine (such as support@citibank.com), as do the design and graphics. But there are telltale signs to be aware of. For example, fraudulent e-mails often try to extract personal information from you in one of two ways:
• By luring you into providing it on the spot (e.g., by replying to the e-mail)
OR
• By including links to a site that tries to get you to disclose personal data.
Has this happened at Citibank?
Although rare, fraudulent e-mails claiming to be from Citibank have been reported. While they haven't compromised Citibank's systems in any way, we take these incidents seriously and work with law enforcement agencies to investigate them. To see examples of some e-mail frauds that have been reported click here (http://www.citi.com/domain/spoof/learn.htm).
If you've received any of these e-mails, delete them immediately. If you've received suspicious e-mails purporting to be from Citibank, pleasenotify Customer Service right away.
How do I report a spoof e-mail?
Click here (http://www.citi.com/domain/spoof/reportspoof.htm) if you suspect that an e-mail claiming to be from Citibank is a fraud. We'll ask you to provide basic information about the e-mail and to give us your contact data, so we can reach you if we need details.
How can I be sure that I'm dealing with Citibank and not an imposter?
You can tell that you're dealing with Citibank because:
* Citibank will never send you an e-mail asking for your passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information.
* If we request information from you, we'll always direct you back to a Citibank site using links. These are for your convenience — you can also reach our site using your bookmarks or any of our published URLs.
* If you're required to enter personal information to perform a transaction, it's always done on a site secured with SSL technology — you can tell because there'll be a padlock icon at the bottom of your screen. Most important, if you click on the padlock, a security certificate will pop up. In it, there's a section that says "Issued to:" If it's really a Citibank site, then the URL will end in "citibank.com."
* If you use a link in an e-mail you receive from us, you can make sure that you are on a Citibank page by comparing the address of the site in the Address/Location area of your web browser to those in the table below.
* While we may provide more user-friendly URLs that are easy to remember — such as citibankonline.com or myciti.com — they always direct you to pages located at the URLs in the table below.
CITIBANK/CITIGROUP SITE URL WHERE YOU SIGN ON
Citibank Online or My Citi https://web.da-us.citibank.com/
Citibank Credit Cards https://www.citibank.com/us/cards/
Citibank Mortgage https://www.citimortgage.com/ or, https://www2.citimortgage.com/
Citibank Student Loans https://studentloan.citibank.com/
CitiBusiness Online https://citibusinessonline.da-us.citibank.com
Smith Barney Access https://www.smithbarney.com
How can I tell if an e-mail is from Citibank?
For your protection, at the top of every e-mail you receive from Citibank you'll see an "Email Security Zone" that includes your:
* First name
* Last name, and
* The last four digits your ATM/Debit Card number.
You should be suspicious of any e-mail you receive that claims to be from us but which does not include this information. Here is an example of what the E-mail Security Zone looks like.
http://radans.com/scambait/citibank.jpg
How can I protect myself?
We want your online experience to be enjoyable and worry-free. That's why Citibank Online uses 128-bit secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption and other security procedures. We also want to make you aware of several simple security tips to keep in mind:
* Act quickly if you suspect fraud. If you believe someone is trying to commit fraud by pretending to be Citibank or another Citigroup business, please contact us immediately at 1-800-374-9700.
* Use a strong password. Choose passwords that are difficult for others to guess and use a different password for each of your online accounts. Use both letters and numbers and a combination of lower case and capital letters if the passwords or PINS are case sensitive.
* Change your Citibank Online Password often. You can do this quickly and easily by signing on and going to the Account Servicing area.
* Leave suspicious sites. If you suspect that a website is not what it purports to be, leave the site immediately. Do not follow any of the instructions it presents.
* Be alert for scam e-mails. These may appear to come from a trusted business or friend, but actually are designed to trick you into downloading a virus or jumping to a fraudulent website and disclosing sensitive information.
* Don't reply to any e-mail that requests your personal information. Be very suspicious of any e-mail from a business or person that asks for your password, Social Security number, or other highly sensitive information--or one that sends you personal information and asks you to update or confirm it.
* Open e-mails only when you know the sender. Be especially careful about opening an e-mail with an attachment. Even a friend may accidentally send an e-mail with a virus.
* Be careful before clicking on a link contained in an e-mail or other message. The link may not be trustworthy.
* Do not send sensitive personal or financial information unless it is encrypted on a secure website. Regular e-mails are not encrypted and are more like sending a post card. Look for the padlock symbol on the bottom bar of the browser to ensure that the site is running in secure mode BEFORE you enter sensitive information.
* Do business only with companies you know and trust.
* Be aware! Phony "look alike" websites are designed to trick consumers and collect their personal information. Make sure that websites on which you transact business post privacy and security statements, and review them carefully.
* Make sure your home computer has the most current anti-virus software. Anti-virus software needs frequent updates to guard against new viruses. Make sure you download the anti-virus updates as soon as you are notified that a download is available.
* Install a personal firewall to help prevent unauthorized access to your home computer. This is especially important if you connect to the internet via a cable modem or a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.
* Monitor your transactions. Review your order confirmations, credit card, and bank statements as soon as you receive them to make sure you're being charged only for transactions you made. Immediately report any irregularities in your Citibank accounts by calling 1-800-374-9700.
Copyright © 2005 Citigroup Inc.
Quoted here by Fraudwatchers.org for the convenience of people new to the internet and/or in the process of being scammed.