Some of you may be aware that there was recently a security breach at a company called “Epsilon”, a marketing and advertising company in Dallas.  The security breach includes only names and email addresses.  They claim that no other personal information was compromised.  Many major corporations utilize Epsilon to do their email marketing.  Here is small list of some of those companies:

·         Citibank

·         JP Morgan Chase

·         Capital One

·         Verizon

·         US Bank

·         Target

·         Best Buy

·         Astra Zeneca

·         Walgreens

·         Home Shopping Network

·         Dell

·         M&T Bank

Due to this breach, almost everyone can expect to see a larger number of emails at home and work that could be spam or a phishing scam.  Some of these emails will appear as though they are coming from you.  Here are some helpful tips on what to expect and to keep you and your finances safe:

·         If you are going to shop online, do so directly from the retailer’s website.  Do not use links contained in emails.  Links in emails can be deceiving.  For example, this link says it will take you to http://www.bestbuy.com/ – click the link and see where it takes you.  If you hold your mouse over the link without clicking it, a tool tip will appear telling you what website it will really take you to.

·         If the email has an attachment, don’t open it!  Legitimate retailers will not send you marketing emails with attachments.

·         If you get an email asking you to log into your account to update information, do not click on any links in the email.  Banks do not ask you to do this.  Citibank now includes the following graphic in their emails to let you know it comes from them.  It will include the last four digits of your account number and show you your “Member Since” date.

·         Never respond to an email asking for personal information such as social security number, account numbers, user names or passwords.

·         Any email you receive that says it came from your email address is fake and should be deleted immediately (unless of course you do send yourself emails).

·         If an email is urging you to do something, think twice about it.  If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

·         Sometimes a friend or family member’s computer can be compromised and a spammer can get your email that way.  Then they can make the email look like it is coming from someone you trust.  Remember the telephone?  It’s how most of us once communicated back in the dark ages.  If you get an email from someone you trust that doesn’t look right, call them and ask them if they sent it.