Secure Your Home Computer and Minimize Risks Online

At the Gift Fund, we encourage our donors to follow these security guidelines for their home computers:

• Use Up-to-Date Anti-Virus Software to protect your computer, and scan for viruses at least once a month.
• Use Up-to-Date Anti-Spyware Software to keep your private information such as passwords and credit card numbers, safe.
• Use a Personal Firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your computer when you're online.
• Install Security Updates Regularly and check your computer for missing updates at least monthly, or, for the best protection, set up your computer to receive updates automatically whenever possible.
• Upgrade Your Internet Browser when security updates become available or when a new version manages security better than older versions.
• Protect Your Wireless Home Network by enabling encryption and strengthening the overall security of your wireless home network.

Additionally, Protect Yourself from Unsolicited Emails

Unsolicited commercial emails, also known as "spam," are as common today as ever. Fortunately, many email providers add extra anti-spam protection to their services. If your email provider does not, you might consider changing to one that does. While all junk emails can’t be screened out, the suspicious ones that make it through are identified, highlighted, and can be blocked by you as a user.

Avoid Online Scams

Phishing is the mass emailing of messages that falsely claim to come from a legitimate business. These messages often provide links to phony Web sites, where you are asked to supply personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or bank account numbers. You should never enter personal information on a web site unless you are sure it is legitimate.

How to Recognize Phishing Email

Phishing messages have evolved drastically over the years, and they are often difficult to recognize. The creators now incorporate realistic company logos and graphics, provide links to the real company's privacy policies, and even include "legal disclaimer language" at the bottom.

Don’t Provide Personal or Account Information Through Email

The Gift Fund does not send emails that would prompt you to provide any personal or account-specific information. If you are ever prompted for additional information in an email that looks as if it is from the Fidelity^® Charitable Gift Fund^SM, please contact the Gift Fund immediately at 1-800-952-4438 to let us know the contents of the email. Also, be sure to delete the email from your In Box as soon as possible.

Learn more: How We Protect Your Information, from the Gift Fund Privacy Policy