Phishing Scams: What is phishing?

Phishing Scams:

            What is phishing?

             

            Most of us have gotten used to doing business online: we buy and sell things and we have accounts with sensitive information. The risk of doing business online is low as long as you deal directly with organizations you trust.          

            Problems occur when criminals impersonate these organizations and fool you into handing over sensitive information like account numbers, passwords and PIN numbers.

            Through the Internet and electronic communication like email, instant messaging, text messaging and social media, these criminals cast a wide net to catch as many unsuspecting victims as possible.

            For example, you receive an email that looks like a trustworthy message from a bank. It asks you to click a link to verify information and you assume it is legit. So you click the link and log in to what appears to be you bank’s website. At this point, the scam is complete. You have handed over your bank’s password to the criminals who can use it to take your money.  They were able to fool you by impersonating the bank’s website.

            It looks real, but it is designed to fool you into handing over important information. This is a scam called phishing and you need to avoid it. Remember, phishing emails may use the same exact logos, phone numbers and addresses that appear on your statements or bills. Always be suspicious of an email that asks for your information. No exceptions.

            They key to avoiding this scam is awareness. Avoid being a phisher’s “catch of the day.” There are few keys to detecting phishing emails: they often try to scare you, by saying your account has been accessed or security has been compromised. They also insist that you click a link to verify information or fill out a form. Do not click links or fill out forms in suspicious emails. The email may also have misspellings and call you something like “valued customer:” the crooks don’t know your name.

            Email phishing is one of the most common forms of phishing attacks used today. Cyber criminals disguise themselves as your trusted banks, employer, Phone Company, email provider, social medial provider or other company to lure you into giving them your personal information so they can use it to their advantage. Though these attacks are well disguised and sophisticated, they can generally be detected with four quick steps:

1-    Spelling and grammatical errors in the subject line and body of the email.

2-    Urgent calls to action requesting login credentials or personal information for verification.

3-    Foreign email addresses, or email addresses that aren’t assigned to the “trusted” company.

4-    Links that when hovered over show a domain that is not the same as the “company” sending the email.

            You’ve probably already seen this attack, whether you realized it or not. Never click on the links, and never provide log in credentials or other personal information. Do not open unknown attachments. Don’t fall for “too good to be true” promises.

If you feel the email is legitimate, manually enter the trusted website in a separate window, then contact your trusted representative through their traditional channel of communication.

            If you receive a phishing email, stay calm: there is no risk to receiving it, just delete it. You can also safely report it by forwarding it to reportphishing@antiphishing.org or spam@uce.gov. If an email does lead you to a suspicious website, remember to look at the web address. The address in your browser should look familiar. If you suspect that criminals have your information, immediately contact organizations where you have accounts.

            Phishing scams are a growing threat on the Internet. By being aware of the scam, you can feel confident in working with companies online. To protect yourself in the long run, you might also want to consider anti-phishing software. Further, check your online accounts and credit reports regularly and quickly report anything that is out of place.