Identity Theft

There are fraudulent e-mail and phone scams, and at Argentine Federal Savings we want to make sure that you have a safe online experience. These tips may help you avoid Identity Theft.

• Do not provide any confidential information in suspicious emails or websites.
• Do not click on links in e-mails to login. Type argentinefed.com in your browser to get to the login page. This way you will always be sure that you are on our genuine site.
• Protect your online banking username, password, and answers to security questions. Do not write them down or share them with anyone.
• Never give personal information to a stranger who contacts you, whether by telephone, the mail, e-mail, or other means.
• Contact a member of our staff if you have any concerns with using our website or about your account.

The best way to protect your account information is to always go to argentinefed.com to log into your account, regardless of how urgent an e-mail may make clicking on the links in that e-mail sound.

Some frequently asked questions about Identity Theft are:

What is phishing?

Phishing can involve emails and spoof websites or both. Phishers will send e-mails to a wide range of people and the e-mails may appear to come from a reputable company. This is known as a phish e-mail. In the phish e-mail, there are usually links to spoof websites that imitate the company's actual website. Phishers hope that victims will provide their personal information, and may use compelling language. (For example: Your account information is out of date please login to update your information.) These e-mails may sound urgent and imply that your account information's safety and security are at risk. Once obtained, personal information can be used for any number of illegal activities.

How did they get my e-mail address?

Phishers can obtain email addresses from many places on the internet. They may also purchase email lists, and sometimes will use software to guess email addresses. Phishers usually have no idea if the people to whom they send phishing e-mails to are actual bank customers. They may not even know if the e-mail addresses are valid unless you respond or click on one of the links. Phishers hope that some percentage of the e-mail will be received by actual bank customers. If you receive a fraudulent or phishing e-mail that appears to come from Argentine Federal Savings, this does not mean that your email address, name, or any other information has been taken from Argentine Federal Savings.

How can I tell if the website is a phishing or spoof website?

Phishers may try to direct you to fraudulent websites through links in e-mails. These websites are used to try to obtain your personal information. One way to detect a phony website is to consider how you go to the site. If you followed a link in an e-mail requesting your account information, or warning of a problem with your account, you should be suspicious. You should not click on any links in suspicious emails.  Phishers may use pop-up windows or ads to obtain personal information. Argentine Federal Savings does not use pop-up windows to request customer account information. All of our pop-up windows are user-initiated. We will never display a pop-up window on our site that you have not requested by clicking on a link.

Other Types of Scams

There are lottery or sweepstakes scams where you receive notice that you are the winner of a lottery. The notice will state that you must pay a percentage for the taxes or for other fees before you can receive the rest of your prize, or that you must wire the money for the taxes back to the organization. If you did not enter a lottery or sweepstakes, it is most likely fraud.

Another type of scam, involves receiving a check for something you sold over the internet, but the amount of the check is for more than the selling price. You are instructed to deposit the check, and then send back the difference in cash. It may also involve receiving a check from an individual different from the person buying your item. They may instruct you to transfer money, or receive a transfer of money before the check has cleared.

These are just a few examples of scams that you might encounter, and should not be considered a definitive guide to fraud and scams. If you encounter a situation that you are unsure of, contact one of our bankers at either branch and we will be happy to discuss it with you. You can contact our Argentine Branch at: (913) 831-2004, and you can contact our Overland Park Branch at (913) 402-1500.