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Phishing Scams Can Affect Anyone
A phishing scam can affect anyone.
Whether you are online or
offline or whether it is by email or phone a phishing may be lurking
and you may never know it, until it hits.
Though business is taking an active role in trying to prevent
phishing, the consumer must always be ever alert. But first things first, let's define phishing.
What is Phishing?
For those new to what phishing is, let me define it. Phishing is an attempt by the sender to have the receiver of the email or text message to release
their personal information. The email or text message will be from
a company that you are doing business with on a regular basis. The sender, is hoping that you
look at the business name alone, and without thinking, click on the
link to find out what the business wants from you..
If you click on the link and enter your password and user-id into the website, THEY created, you have just become a victim of a
phishing scam. How were you fooled? First you're not aware of
what phishing is, you may not give it a second thought.
And, to make matters worse, the website entry site will have an authentic look and feel
as that of the real
website. Can you tell if the site is authentic? Yes.
In most cases, if the site is a fraud you'll find that not all of the web pages within the website are complete. Or, you'll find
that you cannot reach your usual destination when you hit one of the links within the website. Why? They cannot duplicate the whole site.
If you find yourself on a fraudulent site, you will need to contact the business immediately. Tell them of the situation so that you change your password and user-id
and, follow whatever other safety procedures the business may request of you.
Typical Phishing Email
A typical phishing email will try to prompt you to action. How do they do this?
Let's say you have a Paypal account. In this case, you may see in the subject line
the following call to action:
"Verification of Paypal Account Needed".
Within the email, they will explain to you that your
Paypal account may have been compromised and to please click on the link to verify the information. You should instantly become
suspicious. Though you may feel an urgent sense of dread, and
immediately tempted to click on the link, DO NOT.
ANOTHER WARNING: Do not cut and paste the link into your browser.
It will
not protect you. Instead, use the link that you usually use to
contact the company.
But as technologies change, so does the technical sophistication of
the fraudsters. The new phishing scam that is now emerging is the
phishing phone scam.
Phone Phishing-A New Phishing Scam
Phone phishing is a new method in which cyber-thieves are attempting to pull personal data from unsuspecting victims. This is how it goes down.
You may get an email that requests that you use the phone number provided, to verify your "compromised account". Or, you may receive a direct call from an individual or an automated message
requesting that you call another number to verify activity on your credit card, etc. What can
you do to verify the information?
DO NOT call the phone number provided. Instead, use the phone number on your credit card or hard-copy invoice and ask for the fraud department. This serves two purposes:
1) you can verify whether your account has truly been compromised and;
2) you
can report the attempted fraudulent activity to the business in
question-if you find that to be the case.
Be aware, phone phishing scams are growing, so all must be vigilant and guarded about your personal data.
What personal information do they want?
The fraudsters are after your personal information. Depending upon the information,
they can sell the information to spammers for good money, or use the information
for their own financial gain. What are they looking for:
-
passwords
- credit card numbers
- social security numbers
- bank account numbers
- dates of birth
- names
- addresses
How to Protect Yourself
Here are some common sense methods of protecting yourself from phishing.
1. Even if the email looks legitimate do not click the link, or copy and paste the link to verify. Instead,
use the link that you typically use when conducting business with the company and verify. If you have any questions, notify the business directly to verify
their request.
2. Internet Explorer is fine, however, Firefox has proven to be more effective at identifying phishing sites.
3. Check the email over, look for typos, poor grammar, etc.
4. If it is a phone phishing attempt-do not use the phone number given. Instead, go to your hard copy invoice and phone the
number provided. Or if it is a credit card, use the phone number on the credit card and verify the information.
5. If you're working on the Internet, or spend a lot of time on the Internet, it's wise to stay current on what new scams
are being attempted.
6. Make sure you utilize Anti-virus or Internet Security software
To conclude, never be complacent with your personal data. Protect yourself, know the rules, and stay up-to-date on what's
happening in the areas of fraud and scams online and off. In this case, ignorance is your enemy and the fraudster's golden opportunity for riches.
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Phishing Can Affect Anyone
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