Phishing is a slang term used to describe how criminals trick consumers into divulging sensitive information such as bank or credit card account numbers or passwords. These criminals may send you an email, show you a popup online, or call you and claim that they represent a business and that they need you to update or confirm or validate sensitive information. Sometimes they threaten consequences if you don't divulge this information. No matter how innocent phishing sounds, it allows criminals to put a nasty hook into your personal information. Basically, phishing is a criminal enterprise that uses phony email messages and fake websites to steal personal information—the kind of information that leads to identity theft.
A typical phishing scam, or spoof, works like this:
While the email and website appear to be legitimate, they are bogus and exist only to steal your information.
Avoid getting spoofed. Keep these simple tips in mind to protect your personal and account information:
To make your Internet experience more secure, consider these suggestions, in addition to those above:
GEICO has received reports of individuals receiving unsolicited emailed invitations to participate in a survey of GEICO customers in return for a reward. The invitations use the official GEICO name or logo, and/or purported images of GEICO buildings, and individuals report being prompted to pay for shipping charges using their personal credit card to claim the promised rewards. These surveys are not legitimate and do not originate from GEICO.
GEICO does conduct surveys to which you may be invited via email, within our mobile apps, on our website, or via our automated phone systems. However, GEICO emailed surveys and survey invitations:
If you have received an invitation to participate in an alleged GEICO survey that requires you to provide payment information, the invitation and survey are fraudulent. If you believe you have been a victim of one of these emails, please review our information on "Steps Victims Can Take" below.
Where am I? On the Internet you may not be where you think you are. Fraudsters can create fake sites that seem entirely authentic. To combat this, most businesses provide a way for you to authenticate that you are where you think you are. GEICO employs Trustwave to authenticate the website.
If you click on the Trustwave logo, it will tell you the site is registered to GEICO and that the registration is current. (This information is displayed on Trustwave's site where the URL will look something like this https://sealserver.trustwave.com/cert.php?customerId=&size=105x54&style=normal&baseURL=www.geico.com, depending on the website on which the logo appears).
Phishing scams can lead to Identity Theft. Take preventative measures and enroll in GEICO Portfolio Identity Protection. Identity Protection helps you monitor and manage your credit and protect your identity. Enroll online to protect your credit and identity from Phishing scams.
If you think you have been the victim of a phishing email or suspicious phone call, consider the following steps:
Identity Protection is provided by Iris Powered by Generali, and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. © 2022 GEICO
GEICO has no control over the privacy practices of Iris Powered by Generali and assumes no responsibility in connection with your use of the Iris Powered by Generali website. Any information that you provide directly to Iris Powered by Generali is subject to the privacy policy posted on the Iris Powered by Generali website.
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