Beware And Be Warned About Phishing Scams
Wednesday, December 26, 2012, 2:00 AM | Leave Comment
Chances are you have heard of Phishing. If not, here is a scenario that happens on a daily basis. Someone unknown to you sends you an email. The email basically consists of solicitation requiring you to send back your private information, in essence your identity. The email will falsely claim to be an established legitimate enterprise.
The obvious purpose of the email is that you surrender your private information. Phishing is a part of the larger identity theft going on in various forms.
Once you gave away your information, it can be used for scamming your bank account, your Social Security number can be used by others and a whole lot more.
Protect yourself from Phishing scams
Phishing is the mass e-mailing of messages that falsely claim to come from a legitimate business. These messages often provide links to phony websites, where you are asked to supply personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or bank account numbers.
Never enter personal information unless you are sure the website is legitimate. You should also be certain the site is encrypted. Look for the letter “s” at the end of “https” at the beginning of the URL address. This ensures that the site is running in secure mode.
How to recognize Phishing E-Mail
Phishing messages have evolved drastically over the last year, 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.
To help determine if an e-mail is part of a phishing scam, ask yourself the following:
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Do I have a relationship with this company?
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Would I expect this company to contact me this way?
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Would I expect this company to use this tone or make this request?
If you are not sure at all, contact the company by phone.
Sharpen your Phishing detection skills
Sonic Wall has pulled together 10 sample e-mail messages that have appeared in people’s mailboxes. Try the Sonic WALL Phishing and Spam IQ Quiz to see if you can identify phishing scams from legitimate e-mails.
Don’t open unexpected E-Mail
Be cautious of e-mail and attachments – even if they look like they are from a friend – unless you are expecting them or know what they contain.
On the same token, most e-mail is not secure or encrypted and should not be trusted to send personal or financial information.
Additional information
Additional information can be found at http://www.antiphishing.org/ or the Government website for consumers.
In a Nutshell
Beware of the Phishing scams. Be more cautious than usual to open a suspicious email.
Never ever give out your personal information unless you are completely sure of the legitimacy of the email sender.
Watch the video
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