NexBank is committed to providing our customers with a safe and secure online banking environment. To help our customers protect their online banking information, and financial and personal details, below are cybersecurity tips you can use to identify potential scams.
What are Phishing, Smishing and Vishing?
Cybersecurity threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and challenging to detect. They can take different forms, including phishing, vishing, and smishing. Each type has a unique approach and goals to extract your personal or financial information, or other sensitive data.
Awareness of the different types of cyberattacks and taking proactive actions for protection can help you mitigate the risks.
Phishing
Method of cyberattack that attempts to deceive you to click on a link that is included in an email. These links are to fake websites or malicious attachments designed to steal your data or install malware.
Smishing
Like phishing but it is delivered in the form of a text message. The text messages contain deceptive links that may lead you to malicious content or the cybercriminal's website to enter your confidential information.
Vishing
Fraudulent phone calls or voicemails in which the cybercriminal tries to deceive you into sharing sensitive information or authorizing fraudulent transactions.
How to Spot an Email Scam
Scam emails can skillfully imitate your bank and account for 96 percent of phishing attacks. Here are five red flags to look for that signal a scam:
1. Unusual Email Address
Does the sender email look suspicious? Be cautious if it seems unusual or doesn’t match the usual format.
2. Poor Grammar or Spelling
Look for typos, grammatical errors, or awkward language, as these are common signs of a fraudulent message.
3. Scare Tactics or Urgent Requests
If an email demands immediate action or pressures you to act quickly without time for consideration, such as an urgent warning of an account closure or security breaches, you can safely assume it’s a scam.
4. Suspicious URLs
Phishing emails use deceptive URLs to take you to malicious websites to log into your account. Your best bet is to log in through NexBank’s verified website. Avoid clicking on links or calling numbers you weren’t expecting or don’t recognize.
5. Unexpected Attachments
NexBank will never send an email attachment — especially when you didn’t ask for it. Attachments can contain malware that can compromise your computer or personal information. Never open attachments from emails supposedly from NexBank, unless you are expecting the email.
Emails Phishing Scam Tips
Think you can spot a scam? Visit American Banker’s Association’s #BanksNeverAskThat and learn more about phishing scams.
Cybersecurity Protection
- Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, text messages, emails, or social media requests. Never give out information without verifying the identity of the person requesting it.
- Use strong and complex passwords for all your accounts and use a unique password for every account. The strongest passwords are created by password managers which also store your passwords. Look for a password manager that supports two factor authentication to validate your identity and increase security.
- Use two factor authentication whenever available to add another layer of security to your accounts.
- Check links before you click on them. If they look suspicious, don’t click on them.
- Be cautious before you click on attachments from unknown senders or unexpected attachments from known senders, as these may contain malware.
- Keep your devices up to date. Updates may include patches that fix vulnerabilities and bugs that attackers can exploit to access your data.
If you believe you are a victim of a cybersecurity attack, contact the organization to report it.
Remember, NexBank will never text, email, or call you asking for personal or account information. If you have any questions about a message you received about your NexBank account, call our Banking Team at 972-934-4700 or send us a message through our website before taking any action.