One tactic sometimes used by email scammers is to pose as a legitimate company you do business with and request account or personal information either by email or in an online form. This tactic is known as “phishing”.
First, know that Wave will never request customer information be relayed via email, nor would we deactivate or otherwise alter an existing email account without written notification. If you receive an email that appears to come from Wave asking for your customer or personal information, it is likely a phishing scam. Learn how to report phishing scams and get additional information through the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In addition, as a general rule of thumb you should always follow the following safety and security protocols regarding ANY email you receive:
- Stop and think before you click through and enter any personal details or information.
- When in doubt, contact the business directly to inquire as to the contents of the email received.
- Be cautious of opening attachments or downloading files from emails, regardless of who sent them.
- Avoid clicking on any embedded email links, and always type in the URL for an organization directly if you wish to login.
- Be suspicious of shortened URLs like bit.ly links or tinyurls. These are often used to hide the real web addresses and could lead to a phishing website or malware hosting site.
- Use a good internet security suite that can help you avoid phishing websites and other potential scams that have been reported.
- Use a trusted, well-known spam filter.