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TO: Banks, Branches, and Associates
FROM: Montana Bankers Association
DATE: March 15, 2007
RE: Consumer Alert From State Banking Division on "Phishing" Scams

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- March 15, 2007

CONSUMER ALERT FROM STATE BANKING DIVISION ON "PHISHING" SCAMS
HELENA, MONTANA – The Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions today issued a consumer alert to the Montana press corps and consumers warning them about persons or entities engaged in “phishing” scams.

The Division of Banking and Financial Institutions has received alerts this week from both the American Bankers Association (ABA) and other state banking departments related to “phishing” scams. Individuals have contacted consumers by phone as representing either the ABA or a state banking department. These fraudulent telephone calls have asked the consumers to verify personal financial information.

The Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (Division) does not directly contact consumers in any manner (electronic, telephone, or otherwise), nor does the Division maintain personal financial information for consumers. Consumers should notify the Division of any suspicious activity or any similar attempts to obtain personal information at (406) 841-2920.

"Individuals engaged in phishing scams aim to obtain personal information through identity theft to otherwise illegally part Montanans from their money," said Annie M. Goodwin, Commissioner of the Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions. “Montana consumers need to be vigilant in the hope of recognizing suspicious activity that may relate to these identity theft scams,” said Goodwin.

The Division has also been notified of an email “phishing” scam that has targeted customers of First Interstate Bank of Billings, Montana. These fraudulent emails have directed consumers to input personal account information. These fraudulent emails can be forwarded to First Interstate Bank at phishing-abuse@fib.com. Anyone who responded to one of these emails by sharing personal information should contact their local branch of First Interstate Bank. For more information about these fraudulent emails visit

http://www.firstinterstatebank.com/protect_yourself.html.

"Phishing" scams are a form of identity theft, which are designed by Internet thieves to collect confidential financial information, such as account numbers and passwords. It is common for fraudulent “phishing” emails to look authentic and even include the use of an institution's logo and marketing slogans. The fraudulent emails that targeted customers of First Interstate Bank included the bank’s logo to add to the appearance to its authenticity.

Anyone who questions the authenticity of an entity or person who represents itself as a depository institution in Montana should contact the Division at (406) 841-2920. A consumer who suspects that they may be a victim of a "phishing" or identity theft scam, should call their call local law enforcement agency to report the crime and contact the Federal Trade Commission at (877) 438-4338 or online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft for information on how to protect their credit report. Victims of identity theft should place a watch on their credit report and check it every six months to make sure no new unauthorized activity has been placed in their name. For more information about "phishing" scams visit http://www.occ.gov/consumer/phishing.htm.

Christopher Romano, Licensing and Compliance Manager
Division of Banking & Financial Institutions
301 South Park, Suite 316
P.O. Box 200546
Helena, MT 59620
Phone: 406-841-2928
Fax: 406-841-2930

The FTC suggest these tips to help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam.

► DO NOT REPLY to an email or popup message that asks for personal or financial information. And, don’t click on the link in the message, either.

Examples of messages you might receive are:

“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link provided and confirm your identity.”

“During our regular verification of accounts, we couldn’t verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information.”

► Use anti-virus software and a firewall - and keep them up to date. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from accepting such files unknowingly.

► DO NOT email personal or financial information.

► Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.

► Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer’s security.

► Forward spam that is phishing for information to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank or organization impersonated in the phishing email.

► If you believe you have been scammed, file a complaint at ftc.gov and then visit the FTC’s Identity Theft website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Victims of phishing can become victims of identity theft. While you can’t entirely control whether you will become a victim of identity theft, you can take steps to minimize your risk. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. You may catch an incident early if you order a free copy of your credit report periodically from any of the three major credit bureaus. See www.annualcreditreport.com for details on ordering a free annual credit report.

► Learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam at ftc.gov/spam