Protect yourself from common e-mail scams.

​​Comerica is committed to safeguarding the privacy of your personal information. Comerica will never request personal information (e.g., Social Security number, account numbers, user IDs or passwords) via email. If you have responded to this kind of e-mail, please contact Comerica Identity Theft Resources at 855.983.7283.

Common related schemes

Beware of these common e-mail tactics used to commit fraud.​

Phishing

This is an online scam that seeks to steal credit card numbers, account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, and other sensitive information by using fake e-mails, fraudulent Internet addresses, imposter websites, and "pop-ups" to impersonate Comerica Bank and trick customers into disclosing their personal data.

Pharming

Similar in nature to e-mail phishing, pharming seeks to obtain personal or private (usually financial related) information through domain spoofing. Pharming "poisons" a DNS server by infusing false information into the DNS server, resulting in a user's request being redirected elsewhere. Your browser however will show you are at the correct website, which makes pharming a bit more serious and more difficult to detect. As phishing attempts to scam people one at a time with an e-mail, pharming allows the scammers to target large groups of people at one time through domain spoofing.

Spam

Spam is electronic junk mail or unsolicited e-mail.

Spoofing

A technique used to gain unauthorized access to computers, whereby the intruder sends messages to a computer with an IP address indicating that the message is coming from a trusted host. To engage in IP spoofing, a hacker must first use a variety of techniques to find an IP address of a trusted host and then modify the packet headers so that it appears that the packets are coming from that host. Newer routers and firewall arrangements can offer protection against IP spoofing.

To help keep your personal information out of the wrong hands:

  • Don't click the link. If you are concerned about the authenticity of an e-mail, contact your bank directly by phone beforehand. You may also go directly to your institution's site by typing the URL in the browser. If you go directly to the site, check for indicators that the pages are secure, such as a padlock symbol at the bottom of the page and a URL that begins with "https" instead of "http".
  • Change your passwords periodically, using strong passwords that could not be easily guessed. For example, do not use names (e.g., your mother's maiden name), familiar dates, (e.g., your birthday) or your Social Security number (SSN).
  • Always log off from your Comerica Web Banking® session. Shut off your computer or disconnect from the Internet when not in use.
  • Check merchant privacy policies and only shop at those that publish privacy policies with which you agree.​