It's important to note that your bank, credit union or investment company will never send you an e-mail asking you to "confirm your identity".  These e-mails are known as phishing e-mails, and they're sent out by thieves trying to steal your identity - social security numbers and credit card/banking account information.  Here's an easy way to tell right away that an e-mail isn't a legit message -


Let's say this e-mail shows up in your inbox, and that you have a Capital One account.  This looks legit, right?  It even goes to www.capitalone.com! 

It's not a legitimate e-mail.  Simply hold your mouse cursor over the link (don't click it!!) and you'll see it turn into a hand.  A yellow box pops up and shows you where the link is really going -


You can tell very quickly that this is a scam message, since it's not really going to Capital One's website.  You should delete these types of messages immediately - don't click on that link under any circumstances.  These websites may have trojan horses set up to automatically install on your computer, giving thieves another way to gain access to your private information. 

As always, if you have any questions or can't determine the legitimacy of a message, send us an e-mail at security@utep.edu, and we'll be more than happy to help you.