CYBER SECURITY

Be cyber secure: social engineeringSocial engineering is the use of deception to obtain sensitive or confidential information
for criminal, fraudulent or malicious purposes. Using information available online, criminals
in the guise of trusted individuals, bosses or authority figures coerce individuals into
revealing sensitive information that can be used against them. This threat relies on andexploits the human tendency to trust, but being vigilant can be your first line of defense.

Cyber criminals phish (a social engineering tactic) by:•Contacting you through fraudulent, spoofed orcompromised email accounts or messaging apps.

•Providing an urgent pretext for why you must send
confidential or financial information.

•If you suspect you have been targeted:

Be proactive:
••

•

•

•

Be careful when posting personally identifiable
information on social media. Enable security settings
on your social media profiles to limit what you share
publicly.
Download app updates. Unpatched software canmake you an easy target.
Invest in antivirus software and other cyber security
software that can flag suspicious emails and sites.
Don’t fall for the bait. If an offer sounds too good tobe true, it probably is. Or if an email looks strange, lookup the sender and call them (don’t use the number theyprovide).
Never trust unknown individuals. Verify everything
they claim and do not send sensitive information toanyone whose identity you can’t verify.

Encouraging you to click a link that downloads
malware onto your computer and gives criminals accessto your device and information•D on’t delay. Acting quickly after an event canminimize damage to you or your business.

•Call your bank and freeze financial accounts that may
be affected.

•Change all passwords that may have beencompromised.

•File reports with the relevant local enforcement
officials.

•Notify the company on whose platform the threat
originated.

•Document everything about the financial fraud. The
more information you have, the better armed you will
be to assist an investigation, and the better prepared
you will be against future cyber crime attempts.

Visit www.bankofamerica.com/security to learn how to help protect yourself and those closest to you.

1CYBER SECURITY

Be cyber secure: social engineering
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Neither Bank of America nor its affiliates provide information security or information technology (IT) consulting services. This material is provided “as is”, with no guaranteeof completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this material, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but notlimited to warranties of performance, quality and fitness for a particular purpose. This material should be regarded as general information on information security andIT considerations and is not intended to provide specific information security or IT advice nor is it any substitute for your own independent investigations. If you havequestions regarding your particular IT system or information security concerns, please contact your IT or information security advisor.
Bank of America Private Bank is a division of Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of BofA Corp.
Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A., and affiliated banks, Members FDIC, and wholly-owned subsidiaries of BofA Corp.
“Bank of America” and “BofA Securities” are the marketing names used by the Global Banking and Global Markets divisions of Bank of America Corporation. Lending,other commercial banking activities, and trading in certain financial instruments are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including
Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Trading in securities and financial instruments, and strategic advisory, and other investment banking activities, are performed
globally by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“Investment Banking Affiliates”), including, in the United States, BofA Securities, Inc. andMerrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp., both of which are registered broker-dealers and Members of SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. BofASecurities, Inc. and Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp. are registered as futures commission merchants with the CFTC and are members of the NFA.
Investment products:
Are Not FDIC Insured

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

May Lose Value© 2022 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. 4849389

2