Four times a year the FDIC issues the FDIC Consumer Newsletter.

The Winter 2013 issue has just been published.

Email is one of the primary ways in which we communicate. We not only use it every day at work, but also to stay in touch with our friends and family.  In addition, email is how companies provide many products or services, such as confirmation of an online purchase or availability of your online bank statements. Since so many of us depend on email, email attacks have become one of the primary attack methods used by cyber criminals.

An estimated 9 million Americans are affected by identity theft each year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Although identity theft stems from a single crime (the stealing of personal information), it can take many forms.