Online Fraud
Online fraud occurs when someone poses as a legitimate company to obtain personal and financial information over the Internet and illegally conducts transactions using that information. Commonly called "phishing," the most common forms of online fraud are fake e-mails, websites, and pop-up windows.
How PlainsCapital Bank
CommunicatesPlainsCapital Bank will never ask you for any personal or financial information, including account numbers or passwords, through any unsolicited e-mail or pop-up window. Report any unsolicited request for PlainsCapital Bank account information to PlainsCapital Bank by calling 1-866-762-8392 or e-mailing reportfraud@plainscapital.com.
How to Identify Online Fraud
Fake e-mails and websites often appear to be legitimate. They typically prompt you to act by providing your personal or account information. Fake e-mails and websites are becoming more and more difficult to spot, but there are some common identifiers.
- Urgent requests. Fraudulent e-mails and websites often urge you to confirm or verify your account information by replying to an e-mail address or clicking on a link to a fraudulent website.
- Requests for security updates. Fraudulent e-mails often claim that important security information needs to be updated by clicking on a link or responding to the message.
- Misspellings or errors. Fraudulent e-mails and websites often contain misspellings and grammatical errors. The text is often awkward or inappropriate, and the design or layout may be of poor quality.
- Unsolicited pop-up windows. Fraudulent pop-up windows are typically unsolicited, meaning they appear without the user clicking on a link. PlainsCapital will never use pop-up windows to request customer information on our website, and we will never display a new window that you did not request by first clicking on a link.
How You Can Protect Yourself
- Make sure your computer software and Web browser are up-to-date.
- Install and regularly update a virus protection program.
- Scan your computer for spyware regularly.
- Avoid downloading programs from unknown sources.
- Do not share your user ID or password with anyone.
- Choose passwords that are difficult to guess. Use both letters and numbers, and change your passwords often.
- Always sign out of secure areas of websites, such as Online Banking, where a user ID and password are required.
- Be cautious before sharing your e-mail address with questionable websites, as this increases your risk of receiving fraudulent e-mails.
- Delete suspicious e-mails without opening them. Never open attachments in suspicious e-mails.
- When your computer is not in use, shut it down or disconnect from the Internet.
- Never provide any sensitive account information in response to an unsolicited e-mail, website, or pop-up window. If you are unsure of the validity of a request for account information, call PlainsCapital Bank for confirmation before providing any information.
- Always review your monthly account statements carefully and investigate any unauthorized activity on your account.
If You Suspect You Are a Victim of Online Fraud
If you believe that you may have provided sensitive account information in response to a fraudulent e-mail, website, or pop-up window, report the fraud to PlainsCapital Bank immediately by calling 1-866-762-8392 or e-mailing reportfraud@plainscapital.com. Change your passwords and monitor your account for any unauthorized activity. Should any unauthorized account activity occur, call PlainsCapital Bank immediately at 1-866-762-8392.
You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report and may establish a fraud alert at the three credit bureaus at no charge. Contact any one of the three credit bureaus (the company you call is required to contact the other two) to make them aware of the issue and request a free copy of their credit report. The credit bureaus will place a fraud alert on your file, which can help prevent an identity thief from opening accounts in your name.
- TransUnion: (800) 680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
- Equifax: (800) 525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
- Experian: (888) 397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
Phone Fraud
Phone fraud occurs when someone poses as a legitimate company to obtain personal and financial information over the phone and illegally conducts transactions using that information.
How PlainsCapital Bank Communicates
PlainsCapital Bank will never ask you for any personal or financial information, including account numbers or passwords, through an unsolicited phone call. Phone calls from PlainsCapital Bank and its affiliates will never request that you provide any sensitive account information over the phone. Report any unsolicited phone call requesting PlainsCapital Bank account information to PlainsCapital Bank immediately by calling 1-866-762-8392 or e-mailing reportfraud@plainscapital.com.How You Can Protect Yourself
- Do not share any personal or account information with any unknown source over the phone.
- If you are unsure of the validity of a phone call, call PlainsCapital Bank for confirmation before providing any information.