How to protect yourself from phishing

(FOX Providence) - Every time you check your email, you are at risk of having your personal information stolen, which is known as phishing. How can you protect yourself and your info?

Peg Marty, Executive Vice President of Citizens Bank shares some advice on how to protect yourself.

Q: What is Phishing?
A: Sending an e-mail falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.

The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has.

Q: What are some warning signs that we can watch out for?
A: Fraudulent emails often include misspellings and poor grammar.
- Beware of emails with a sense of urgency; attempting to rush you into action. Messages like: Update now or well close your account…
- Beware of emails sent offering you a prize or a discount and then asking you to choose a user id and password. Most people use the same access information for several accounts-thieves will collect your login information and try them at other sites, like financial institutions or credit card sites.

Q: What should we do if we find a phishing email?
A: Don't open emails from senders you don't know.
- Do not include personal or sensitive data (ie. password, social security numbers) in an email.
- Change your password every 60 days

Q: How can we protect ourselves?
A: If you have any doubts about the authenticity of an email, do not respond, call the sender or type in the web address.