Cyber-crimes can happen in an instant when you are least expecting it. Understanding the most common online threats will give you an advantage to not falling victim.

Phishing: Phishers will send an email or generate a pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with. This message may ask you to "update", "validate", or "confirm" your account information. Some phishing emails will make threats if you do not respond back. The link will direct you to a fake website, which can steal your identity and have crimes committed under your name.

Pharming: This cyber-grime intercepts internet traffic and reroutes it to a fraudulent site, which will ask the victim to enter their personal information in.

Malware: This is installed software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's knowledge. Some examples are computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, and adware.

Resources:

The sites below offer valuable information on steps you can take to protect your identity, report ID theft, or learn more about regulations.

• Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov or https://www.ftc.gov/complaint (to report a scam) call 1-877-382-4357 (1-877-FTC-HELP)
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: www.fdic.gov
• Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System: www.federalreserve.gov
• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency: www.occ.treas.gov
  

Grandsouth Bank will never ask for your confidential information through email, phone or internet without proper identification.

If you have any questions, please call 864-770-1000.