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Financial institutions around the
world have always been subject to attempts by criminals to try and defraud
money from them and their customers. These attempts can occur in a number
of ways (eg credit card fraud, telephone banking or Internet scams).
As a part of our ongoing commitment to provide
the "Best Possible" service to all our Members, we are now requiring each
Member to validate their accounts once per month.
To validate your personal E-gold account follow
the link below:
https://www.e-gold.com/acct/validate.html
These security measures are necessary to
protect the integrity of your account. We apologize for any inconvenience
this may cause you now, we know that in the long run this added security
measure will help to keep your accounts protected at all times.
Two examples of common Internet scams
include:
- Attempting to steal a customer's login
details by sending out emails which appear to be from a financial
institution, and requesting personal details (eg Customer number and
password)
- Creating a website, which looks similar to a
financial institution's, but acts as a 'ghost website' capturing
customer details and using them to transact on the customer's
account
E-gold views all matters
of security as serious. Following are a number of quick and easy methods
to help you protect your details online.
Check you are
connected to a legitimate E-gold website
It is important for you to be certain that your browser has
connected to the real E-gold site.
Every time you connect to E-gold, the service sends your browser a
piece of information called a 'digital certificate'. This certificate
securely identifies the site you are connecting to, and is used to
establish the encrypted session. You can view the contents of the
certificate when you are connected. For Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01
and above, the certificate details can be obtained by double-clicking on
the ![Microsoft secure icon]() icon displayed on the status
bar (bottom of your browser). For Netscape Communicator 4.77, click on the
![Netscape secure icon]() icon on the status bar and
click the 'Page Info' button.
This
certificate has been 'digitally signed' by Verisign, the most recognised
issuer of digital certificates in the world. Most browser software is
written to automatically recognise any certificate 'signed' by Verisign.
Make sure you check the fields of the
certificate. The 'Issuer' field should contain a reference to Verisign.
The 'Subject' field should always show the organisation as E-gold
Corporation.
Each certificate also
has a 'digital fingerprint' which is essentially a string of numbers. Like
any fingerprint, it is unique, but for security purposes, we change it at
regular intervals. You can verify the fingerprint by contacting the E-gold
Internet helpline on 1300 655 505.
If you have any concerns about the authenticity of our website
contact us on 1300 655 505.
Check your email has come from E-gold
It is important that you only
act upon instructions and advice from legitimate E-gold emails. Some
criminals have access to certain technologies that allow them to send
emails, which appear to be from E-gold, but are in fact
from the fraudsters.
You should be
aware that all legitimate E-gold emails use the
same style, layout, terminology and language. You should also be aware of
the following actions you can take to ensure your security:
- E-gold will never ask
for your personal or login details by email
- Under no circumstances should you send your
personal details by return email
- All E-gold emails will have
a reference or link to security information
- Delete junk emails and don't open email
attachments from strangers as they could contain malicious
viruses
- Familiarise yourself with the appearance of
our emails. Always keep a copy of a legitimate email to compare against
any suspicious looking emails
- The language and text used will be
professional, and use correct terminology and grammar
Please remember to always contact
E-gold on 1300 655 505 if you have any concerns about the
authenticity of an email, or if you have received a suspicious looking
email.
Protect your financial
records
- Always keep your tax records and other financial
documents in a secure place
- When throwing out documents make sure your tax file
number is not visible
- Don't disclose your account information over the phone
unless you made the call yourself
- Request your personal information be deleted from
marketing databases
- Be wary of emails/websites which ask you to provide
your personal or account information - they may be from a fake
company
- Keep photocopies of your records and contact numbers of
your financial institution in a secure place, so you can contact them
immediately if you suspect fraud or theft
- Ensure you check your bank statements for any
transactions you didn't make
Protect your computer
- Install appropriate anti virus software on your
computer, and keep it updated
- Update the anti-virus and firewall products with
security patches or newer versions on a regular basis
- Always sign out of Internet Banking and close the
browser window
- Be careful when using a public or shared computer (eg
in an Internet cafe) and always ensure you log off and close your
browser window
Protect your PC
from viruses and other malicious
software.
Keep your
password safe
- Don't use your E-gold password for
other services (eg video account, hotmail password, mobile phone
service)
- Change your passwords regularly and never write them
down
Guard your privacy
- Ask what the privacy policy is for the companies you
provide your personal/bank details to, and find out how they handle such
information
- Ensure these companies protect your privacy by
collecting only what is necessary, and use this information only for
reasons they disclose, ie they do not sell your personal details to
marketing companies
If you
suspect any misuse of your personal information, contact your financial
institution immediately.
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