E-mail spoofing is the forgery of an e-mail header so that the message appears to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source.  Distributors of spam often use spoofing in an attempt to get recipients to open (and possibly respond to) their fraudulent solicitations. 

It’s often hard to detect fraudulent e-mails because the e-mail address of the sender appears genuine (even the design and graphics). However, there are often signs to assist you in ascertaining whether an e-mail is fraudulent. 

E-mails asking you to provide any personal data should always be suspect. NEVER reply to unsolicited e-mails from anyone, regardless of whether or not you have legitimate business with them. If you have questions regarding your account, call the company direct, or start with a clean Web browser, type in the company’s name and contact them directly. Do not click on any links provided in the text.

Requests for information on your Mission Valley Bank Cash Management and Internet Banking sites are secured with SSL technology. To confirm you are on a secured site, there should be a “padlock” icon at the bottom of your screen. You can click on the padlock or other secure identifier, such as the VeriSign logo. The Internet page’s security information can then be viewed so you can make sure the certificate for the site is authentic and valid.

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