Fraudulent e-mails are being sent to consumers that claim to be from the FDIC in an attempt to obtain sensitive personal information, including bank account information. These e-mails falsely indicate that consumers can enroll in card insurance to protect against Internet fraud.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous notifications from consumers of an e-mail that gives the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The "From" line of the e-mail displays the name "Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation " and the subject includes the words "Consumer Protection."

Current versions of the fraudulent e-mail state:

"Who is FDIC?

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) preserves and promotes public confidence in the U.S. financial system by insuring deposits in banks.

What can FDIC do for you?

Despite the efforts of law enforcement, Identity theft is becoming more sophisticated and the number of new victims is growing. In general, consumers are protected against liability for unauthorized accounts or transactions under federal and state law and by financial industry practices. Identity Theft can affect consumers in many ways, thats [sic] why FDIC is presenting a new card insurance which can restore you up to $500 if you are a victim of internet fraud.

Learn more about Consumer Protection > Card Insurance:
Clicking here will redirect you to a online signup page for this program."

The e-mail requests that recipients click on a hyperlink that is provided. This directs the recipient to a "spoofed" Web page requesting the user to enter personal information to receive $500 of "card insurance." The requested information (name, phone number, Social Security number, address, card number, bank name, card expiration date, card verification code, and electronic signature/ATM PIN) could be used to perpetrate identity theft and gain unauthorized access to bank accounts. Be aware that the appearance of the fraudulent e-mails can be modified and that additional variations are possible.

Consumers should NOT access the link provided within the body of the e-mail and should NOT, under any circumstances, provide any personal financial information through this media.

The FDIC has shut down the fraudulent Web site and is investigating the source of the e-mails. Consumers are asked to report any similar attempts to obtain this information to the FDIC by sending information to alert@fdic.gov.

Information about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents and other fraudulent activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-4004, Washington, D.C. 20429, or transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov. Questions related to federal deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's website at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2008/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Fidelity Bank is committed to ensuring that your account information is secure; however, if your computer isn't protected from Internet threats unauthorized individuals may gain access to the information stored on your PC. We suggest that you take precautions to protect your PC from unauthorized access and use.

The following are suggestions to help safeguard your account and personal information when using online banking services.

• Install anti-virus software, protect your computer with a firewall and install spyware detection software. After installing these products ensure they are up-to-date and running before connecting to the Internet; new viruses are created daily.
  
• Ensure your operating system and browser software are updated. Most software vendors offer automatic access and download of security patches and updates. Do not download patches from any sites other than the software manufacturers.
  
• Never share your password. Fidelity Bank will never ask you for your Internet Banking password. The harder it is to guess your password the stronger it is. Do not use personal information (your spouse or children's names, birthdays, addresses etc.). A good password will be at least 8 characters long and will contain at least one uppercase and one lowercase character, one number and one special character.
  
• Do not respond to any email, web page and/or telephone request that ask you to verify or change your personal information or password. Fidelity Bank will never ask you to verify your information in this manner. If you receive an unsolicited email requesting this information or anything you feel to be suspicious, please contact us immediately at 225.923.0232.

We at Fidelity Bank are committed to ensuring your transactions via the Internet are as secure as possible. Your diligence in protecting your personal computer and information greatly assists us in this endeavor.