“Phishing” Tips

  1. Keep a sharp eye out for high-pressure emails urging you to divulge personal financial information or to start making transactions at a new Web site page. Phishers rely on urgent — and even upsetting — statements in their emails in order to goad people into taking immediate action. You may be asked to provide or “verify” usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, checking account withdrawal codes, Social Security numbers, etc. If you get an email that warns you, with little or no notice, that your mutual fund account will be shut down unless you reconfirm your information related to the account, do not reply or click on the link in the email. Instead, contact the mutual fund company by phone or by going directly to its main Web site address, which most likely already is known to you. Check out the substance of the email first instead of just automatically replying or clicking on the Web links in it.
      
  2. Make sure you only conduct Web-based transactions on a “secure” page. The most common mistake is replying via email with your confidential financial or account information. No legitimate company is going to ask you to do that. Instead, they will send you to a Web page that has been made secure for e-commerce purposes. If an email urges you to click through to what is supposedly a Web page for your mutual fund, look for evidence that it is a “secure” page. Among the positive signs that you may see is a URL starting with “https:” (instead of just “http:”) or a padlock icon on your browser frame. While it is a good thing to check for such security, keep in mind that this is not a foolproof way to keep phishers at bay. Some con artists who are phishers have legitimately acquired or forged such security. If you are uncertain about the actual level of security associated with a mutual fund transaction Web page, the best bet is to close your existing browser window, open a new browser window and then go through the main mutual fund company Web site page that is already known to you.
      
  3. Be on guard for suspicious Web site addresses. Is the mutual fund Web site address that you are sent to different from the one that you have used before for your mutual fund account? Does the URL contain the mutual fund’s name (or some variation of it) - along with other words or numbers? These are possible signs of a “cloned” or bogus mutual fund Web site page. (Another common situation in a phishing scheme is a Web page that includes some, but not all, of the art, icons and navigation system of the Web site that has been “cloned.”) Play it safe: Only use mutual fund Web site addresses that you have used before. If you are uncertain about the authenticity of a Web page, contact the company directly by phone or by closing your browser, opening a new browser window and then going directly to the main mutual fund company Web site address.
      
  4. Review your mutual fund account statement carefully. Are there trades missing? Has someone conducted trades that you did not authorize? Is your account statement late or missing altogether (possibly as a result of getting rerouted to the mailing address of a con artist)? Your account should only cover those transactions you have personally authorized and undertaken.
      
  5. Take advantage of the technology available to fight phishing schemes. Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied. If you use the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser, go to the Microsoft Security home page — www.microsoft.com/security/ — to download a special patch relating to certain phishing schemes. Consider installing a Web browser tool bar to help protect you from known phishing fraud websites. EarthLink ScamBlocker is part of a free browser toolbar that alerts you before you visit a Web page that is on Earthlink’s list of known fraudulent phisher Web sites. It’s free to all Internet users and can be downloaded at www.earthlink.net/earthlinktoolbar. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files.
      
  6. Report the problem! Even if you only suspect that you have been approached by a phishing scheme, let your mutual fund company know immediately. Send your mutual fund a copy of the email and the possibly bogus Web site address. (When forwarding email messages, make sure to include the ENTIRE original email with its original header information intact.) It also is a good idea to file a complaint with the FBI & NW3CI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov

Current or prospective shareholders with questions about any suspicious email or Web site claiming to be Pax World Funds (or somehow affiliated with the same) are urged to contact Pax World Funds by phone at 800.767.1729 or email at info@paxworld.com.