Chase hackers may come calling

Chase revealed last week that 76 million households were affected by a cyberattack against the bank this summer.

The nation’s largest bank said there is no evidence that hackers stole account numbers, passwords, birth dates or Social Security numbers. But the hackers were able to get access to customers’ names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.

That’s still a problem. Hackers likely will sell that information on the black market, says Gartner security analyst Avivah Litan. Then scammers will try to use the data to trick you into giving up more personal info.

Here are four tips for Chase customers:

1. DON’T CLICK ON EMAIL LINKS: After big data breaches, scammers start sending emails. The emails may mention Chase, or past breaches. Never click on links. Malware could be downloaded to your computer and steal account passwords and other information.

2. WATCH THE MAILBOX, TOO: Scammers could also send letters. Some might claim you’ve won a tablet, vacation or other prize and give you a phone number to call. Don’t do it.

3. HANG UP THE PHONE AND IGNORE TEXTS: Since phone numbers of Chase customers were stolen, be wary of calls asking for account numbers or other information. Crooks are sending texts now too, so don’t click any links from numbers you don’t know.

4. DON’T OVERLOOK SMALL CHARGES: Crooks will charge smaller amounts to your credit card, usually under $10, to see if you notice, then charge a bigger amount later. It’s best to check online statements for suspicious activity once a week. But if you don’t have time for that, scan statements every month.

Associated Press