Fraudulent communications (Phishing)

Warning!

Credinvest Bank SA will never ask you to provide sensitive personal data via email, telephone calls or instant messaging communications that have not been requested. Beware of fraudulent communications (“phishing”). Do not reply to emails or instructions via telephone or fax asking you to disclose your personal data.

“Phishing” is a type of fraud through which email messages, instant messaging communications and web pages are used to deceive users and induce them to provide confidential and personal information. This expression derives from a play on words based around the English term “fishing” in which the “ph” prefix indicates the word “password harvesting”, i.e. the automatic gathering of passwords – the idea is that people rise to the bait, revealing personal information that can be used for the fraudulent use of credit cards and other serious violations of their privacy. Generally the counterfeit emails seem to have been sent by legitimate companies that ask users to reply to the email message or to access a web page via a link in order to update their personal data or to avoid the risk of their accounts being closed or suspended. These counterfeit emails sometimes contain the company logo and also an address. The data usually asked for includes the user's name and address; his or her social security number, account numbers and passwords; bank account and credit card information - sometimes even the account holder’s mother’s maiden name or other personal information used for security reasons.

Contact us

If you believe that the name or reputation of Credinvest Bank SA has been misused in an email or in some other way, please send the email in question in its original form to info@credinvest.ch. Do not provide any kind of sensitive personal information in your email, such as data relating to your bank account.

Protect yourself

Here below are some of the measures that you can take:

• Be alert to any unexpected email, instant messaging communication, voice message or fax that claims to be from a bank, credit card company or online company with which you hold an account. Should you receive a message of this kind it is advisable to first contact the customer service number shown on your bank card, credit card or online account (but none of the numbers shown in the message) and to verify that the message is legitimate.
• Do not answer any emails or instructions via phone or fax asking you to disclose your personal data. Do not “click” on any link contained in a suspect email. Clicking on a link of this kind could cause you to download “key logging” or spy programs to your computer.
• Log in normally to your bank account, credit card, debit card or other online accounts and reconcile the balances on the statements to be sure that all transactions shown are legitimate. Likewise, always review your account statements to check for unauthorized debits.
• Use up-to-date anti-virus programs.
• “Spam” (trash message) filters and “anti-phishing” programs are available to help you identify potential counterfeit websites and emails.

Important!

Remember that Credinvest Bank SA will never ask you to provide sensitive personal information in an email, telephone call or instant messaging communication that has not been requested.