Your go‑to guide for browsing security terms at your own pace, search for specific topics, or read our brief explanations to feel confident that your banking experience is secure and reliable.
Unauthorized access to a legitimate user's account.
Counterfeit checks are false documents created to draw funds from a victim's account. These physical checks were not legitimately issued by the customer at any point in time.
Fraud alerts make lenders verify your identity before they grant new credit in your name.
Learn more: Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts | Consumer Advice
Freezing your credit can help stop identity theft. When a credit freeze is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name. There’s no cost to place or lift a credit freeze, and it doesn’t affect your credit score.
Credit reporting agencies (also known as credit bureaus or consumer reporting agencies) that collect information relevant to your credit and financial history. There are three credit agencies: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian.
Learn more: Fair Credit Reporting Act | Federal Trade Commission
A video, image, etc. in which a person’s face, body, or voice has been digitally altered so that they appear to be someone else, typically used maliciously or to spread false information.
An unauthorized party has gained access to a device (phone, tablet, or computer) to steal date, install malware (viruses or spyware), or control the device for malicious activities. This can happen through remote access applications, viruses, etc.
Scammers can steal a person's identity (often through the fraudulent use of their social security numbers or credit cards) and rack up debt in the innocent victim's name. The FTC's Consumer Response Center runs an Identity Theft Hotline for impacted consumers.
Learn more: Glossary of Scams and Legal Terms | Federal Trade Commission
The action or practice of lavishing someone with attention or affection, especially in order to influence or manipulate them.
Act of accessing someone's mail without their consent for theft or fraud.
Learn more: Mail & Package Theft – United Stahttps://www.uspis.gov/tips-prevention/mail-thefttes Postal Inspection Service
Pernicious software installed on consumers' devices without their knowledge or without an accurate explanation of the ramifications. These programs can cause devices to crash, and be used by criminals to monitor and control users' online activity, steal personal information, send spam, and commit fraud.
A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else.
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Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app.
Cybercriminals take over a consumer's device and block access until the consumer pays a ransom. In many cases, the fraudsters threaten to destroy the hard drive if the consumer doesn't pay by a deadline.
Software that lets users connect to and control a computer, network, or system from a different physical location, enabling them to access files, run applications, and manage resources as if they were physically there. Apps such as Any Desk or those with the word "Mirror" or "Remote" should be avoided.
A scam is an illegal trick. Scams usually try to get money illegally from people. A scam is a type of fraud.
Short for "SMS phishing," smishing often involves text messages claiming to be from your bank or another company. The message displays a phone number to call or a link to click, giving scammers the chance to trick you out of money or personal information.
Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust. If you answer, they use scam scripts to try to steal your money or valuable personal information, which can be used in fraudulent activity.
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