E-mail fraud (commonly known as "phishing" or "spoofing") has unfortunately become a common part of the online experience. Phishers who have obtained lists of valid e-mail addresses send fraudulent e-mail messages in hopes of obtaining sensitive personal and financial information. Links in these e-mail messages will lead to a phony Web site that may look like a legitimate Web site, but in fact is used by the phishers to collect information. This information is then illegally used to obtain credit or services in the victim’s name.

Phishing e-mail messages may, on the surface, appear to be legitimate. Phishers will carefully craft messages that appear to have valid reasons for requiring information from, or action by, the customer. Here are some hints that may help you spot a phishing e-mail:

• Does the e-mail message ask you to provide an account number, PIN, or any other confidential piece of information? Remember, Chevy Chase Bank representatives will never contact you by phone or email requesting any confidential information.
• Does the e-mail seem to be overly urgent? Phishers may claim that you need to immediately provide information to prevent a charge from posting to your account or that you need to log in to your Online Banking account to prevent interruption of services or account closure.
• Does the message or the Web site contain grammatical or typographical errors? Frequently, phishers will use a bank’s recognizable logo or graphic as part of the message, or Web site design, in an attempt to appear authentic. However, the writing will be awkward and poorly composed.

Provided below are examples of phishing e-mails. If you receive an e-mail that you do not believe is from Chevy Chase Bank, do not respond to it. Please forward it to abuse@chevychasebank.net.

Example 1 of Email Phishing

Subject: ACCOUNT ALERT

We recently noticed one or more attempts to log in your Chevy Chase Bank account from a foreign IP address and we have reasons to believe that your account was hijacked by a third party without your authorization.

If you recently accessed your account while traveling, the unusual log in attempts may have initiated by you.

However if you are the rightful holder of the account, click on the link below and submit, as we try to verify your account:

http://www.chevychasebank.com

If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choice but to temporarily suspend your account.

We ask that you allow at least 48hrs for the case to be investigated and we strongly recommend not making any changes to your account in that time.

If you received this notice and you are not the authorized account holder, please be aware that is in violation of Chevy Chase Bank policy to represent oneself as another Chevy Chase Bank owner. Such action may also be in violation of local, national, and/or international law. Chevy Chase Bank is committed to assist law enforcement with any inquires related to attempts to misappropriate personal information with the Internet to commit fraud or theft. Information will be provided at the request of law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Chevy Chase Bank Email ID 08018273

Example 2 of Email Phishing

Subject: VERIFY YOUR ACCOUNT URGENTLY!

We are contacting you to remind you that our Account Review Team identified some unusual activity in your account. In accordance with Chevy Chase Bank's User Agreement and to ensure that your account has not been compromised, access to your account was limited. Your account access will remain limited until this issue has been resolved. We encourage you to sign on and perform the steps necessary to restore your account access as soon as possible. Allowing your account access to remain limited for an extended period of time may result in further limitations on the use of your account and possible account closure. To view and perform the verification process, please click on the link below:

Chevy Chase Bank is committed to maintaining a safe environment for our customers. To protect the security of your account, our bank employs some of the most advanced security systems in the world and our anti-fraud teams regularly screen the Online Banking system for unusual activity.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please understand that this is a security measure meant to help protect you and your account. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Chevy Chase Bank, Customer Service.

If you received a phishing e-mail or suspect you have received a phishing e-mail, do not respond to it, instead please forward it to us immediately at abuse@chevychasebank.net.

If you have responded to a phishing e-mail and have provided confidential information on your Chevy Chase Bank account, please contact us now through Online Banking.