opus:interactive | If These Servers Could Talk

Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 3:13 pm by opus:interactive

Gone Phishing: Online scams get tricky and technical

We all know that providing personal information over the internet is unwise. We take precautions when shopping online, covet our privacy when visiting chat rooms and enlist services to avoid hacking. But internet scammers have a new method to lure unsuspecting victims when “casting about” for private financial information—they go “phishing.”

Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam to deceive consumers into disclosing their credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, and other sensitive personal information. Internet “phishermen” enlist this information via emails that may already arrive regularly in your mailbox.
The emails are specially formatted to deceive you into thinking that a legitimate company—possibly one that you conduct business with—is requesting necessary personal information. In truth, these emails are designed to help you unwittingly send information to identity thieves.

Don’t Take the Bait:
There are several ways to recognize a phishing email.
First, be aware of common phishing scams. Many come from scammers imitating Ebay, PayPal and government agencies.  One example is Regulations.gov, a legitimate agency operated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The FTC and other federal agencies use the regulations.gov portal to receive comments from the public regarding proposed rules and regulations. Scammers often use emails resembling regulations.gov because the public generally views governmental agencies as large and legitimate.

Second, know what to look for. There are a few specific elements that should draw a red flag, such as a link within the email that doesn’t lead to its original site.  Once you click on a link, always check the address bar of your browser to be sure you are on the company’s original web site. Another indicator might be when a “return” email address doesn’t match the displayed email address when you are preparing to send your information, This means your return email is being rerouted to an unscrupulous mailbox.  You might also receive several copies of the same email, common practice for phishing scammers who don’t often check their target lists for repeat email addresses. Emails that seem unusually insistent or threatening should also be a warning. Scammers know that Intimidation can be a successful method for soliciting information.

But the simplest way to alleviate phishing scams is to avoid sending personal and financial information altogether. Any request for information via email should be questioned. If you get an unexpected email from a company or government agency asking for your personal information, contact the company or agency cited in the email using a telephone number you know to be genuine. You might also cross-check the company of origin by starting a new Internet session and typing in the Web address to be sure it leads to a legitimate company.

Hook, Line and Sinker:
If you have already given your credit card or banking information in response to a suspicious email, notify your Credit Card Company or bank immediately so they can monitor your accounts. If you provided your Social Security number, contact one of the three national consumer reporting agencies to request fraud alert. Finally, visit the FTC’s Identity Theft Web site (www.consumer.gov/idtheft) to file a complaint and learn more about how to minimize your risk identity theft.

Post Comment (0)