You might have heard of the term "Phishing" before no, I am not talking about casting a pole into the lake and relaxing for the day. I am referring to "Phishing" which is a term coined to define tech savy con artists (Phishers) who use email, bogus websites and other techniques to con people into revealing personal information such as credit cards, passwords and user names from the unsuspecting user.
Phishers have used popular websites such as Ebay, Paypal and AOL to lure people into their trap, and it has been going on for over a decade. It is estimated approximately 1 to 10 percent of recipients of Phishing email's fall victim to this crime.
The intent of this article is to inform Internet users, especially those who use the Internet as a form of commerce, of the potential danger this cyber crime poses. I will teach you techniques that will help keep your identity and your personal information safe, the worm is no longer the bait, we are!
In order to learn how to protect ourself from Phishing scams we need to know how it works. In most cases, Phishers send out email, sometimes up to millions at a time. Each email contains a message that appears to come from a well-known and trusted company such as Ebay, or Paypal. The message may include the company's name and logo, and it often tries to request the user's personal information. Often times the email includes a link which directs the recipient to a bogus Web site. The Web site, like the email, appears authentic and even may mask the URL so the Web address looks real. Let me give you an example.
I have personally seen a recent Phishing scam that used Paypal as the source of attack. They claim I needed to update my user name and password for security reasons. The Email went on to claim users had until the end of the month to update their account or it will be closed. Included in the email was a link to the spoofed web page that looked very similar to the "Real" Paypal site. Had I not known what to look for I very well may have fallen victim to the attack. Now that you have a general idea of what Phishing scams are and how they work lets move on to ways to protect yourself while online. First, it is a good idea to be defensive with your personal information.
Never provide sensitive data in an email, instant message, or pop-up window. Do not respond to any email's that request personal or financial information, especially ones that use pressure tactics. If you have reason to believe that a financial institution actually does need personal information from you, pick up the phone and call the company yourself check the number you dial, never rely on the information the email provides. Some savy Phishers build bogus websites which appear to have padlocks. Always double check the security, it only takes a second and it is a good habit to get into. To double check, click on the padlock icon on the status bar to see the security certificate for the site.
Following the "Issued to" in the pop-up window you should see the name matching the site you think you're on. If the name is different, you are probably on a bogus site. Most current browsers now included some sort of Phishing filter that helps protect you from fraudulent web sites. Lets use Internet Explorer 7 as an example. According to Microsoft, IE7 comes with 2 ways to help protect you against Phishing scams.
It operates in the background as you browse the Web, analyzing Web pages and determining if they have any characteristics that might be suspicious. If it finds suspicious Web pages, it will show a yellow warning, advising you to proceed with caution. IE7 also has a Phishing Filter that checks the sites you visit against an up-to-the-hour, dynamic list of reported Phishing sites. If it finds a match, Phishing Filter will show you a red warning notifying you that the site has been blocked for your safety.
Finally, remember to always keep your Anti-Virus program up to date. It is a good idea to check for new definitions daily. I hope this article has given you a better understanding of Phishing attacks, and the precautions needed to keep your Identity and personal information safe
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