YOUR MONEY IS AT REAL INTERNET RISK

This is not an ad for anything.  This is the truth; your money is at risk unless you have it under your mattress. 

An Indian tribe in northwest Washington just received the news that their bank account had been decreased by $260,000 as a result of fraudulent wire transfers to foreign banks.  The tribe was shocked to learn that the password protection they had against any wire transfers had been compromised.  Although the bank has liability here, it may take weeks or months before that  money is replaced in the tribe's account; in the meanwhile, they have to scramble to find funds to cover everyday operating expenses.  

Here's how it works.  A virus gets into your bank's computer or into your accountant's computer and sits there, watching your keystrokes.  Whenever you enter a password to get into an account, such as 1234Hanger, it records that password.  After a period of time, the hackers dig their way into your bank and play with your account number and password.  Eventually, an amount that is similar to a normal transaction is transferred out of your account.  Once that is successful, the bad guys know that their passwords will work.  


Then comes a wire transfer from another bank that is processed through the internet to your bank for an amount close to your balance.  When the bank computers ask for the password to allow that to happen, the hackers already have it. When the officials try to trace the transaction back to its origin, they discover that fake IP addresses were used. 

How do you protect yourself?  Don't allow any wire transfers from your bank account at all.  Don't access your account on the internet.  Keep a strong anti-virus and firewall protection on your business and personal computers.  If you do use the internet to access your account information, change your passwords frequently and review your transactions daily.  

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.