Don’t Get Caught By Phishing’s Net

By ThinkAvenue Editor
As we've become more and more dependent on email as a means of communicating, we've also had to deal with the ugly side effect of spam clogging up our inboxes. With spam filters and improved security measures, fighting spam has gotten a little easier. But now, there's an even more insidious problem that could be infiltrating your inbox called phishing.

What Is Phishing?

Phishing occurs when a user receives an email falsely claiming to be sent from an established and/or legitimate enterprise in an attempt to trick the user into providing personal information that will be used for identity theft.

Phishing occurs when a user receives an email falsely claiming to be sent from an established and/or legitimate enterprise in an attempt to trick the user into providing personal information that will be used for identity theft. The message usually claims the receiver needs to “update” or “validate” account information and may even threaten dire consequences if you don't respond. The email typically directs the user to a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords, credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has.

These bogus Web sites, also called "spoofed" Web sites, can be designed to mirror the legitimate company's Web site by using the same logo, colors, etc., so that the visitor doesn't expect any wrongdoing. Once you're at one of these spoofed sites, you might unwittingly send personal information to the thieves. If they have your personal information, they can use it to buy goods, apply for credit cards or otherwise steal your identity.

How To Spot Fraud
If you receive an email from an establishment that you do business with, such as your bank, credit card company, or Internet service provider, there are several ways

You should be suspicious of any message that asks you to provide sensitive personal information via email.

to test it's authenticity. First off, you should be suspicious of any message that asks you to provide sensitive personal information via email. If there is a legitimate problem with your account, you will typically be contacted via phone.

If you do receive an email asking for your personal information:

• Call the organization to verify that the email was really sent from them.


• Look for misspellings and bad grammar in the message. While an occasional typo can slip by any organization, more than one is a sign that you're not dealing with professionals.


• If the email refers you to a Web site, look carefully at the URL. It's easy to disguise a link to a site.


• Beware of the @ symbol in a URL. Most browsers will ignore all characters preceding the @ symbol, so this Web address -- http://www.respectedcompany.com@thisisascam.com -- may look to the unsuspecting user like a page of respected company's site. But it actually takes visitors to thisisascam.com .


• The longer the URL, the easier it is to conceal the true destination address.


• Other ways to disguise URLs include substituting similar-looking characters, such as a 1 (one) for an “l” or a 0 (zero) for and “o.”

The FTC, the nation's consumer protection agency, suggests these tips to help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam:

• Don't email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information.


• If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization's Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser's status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have forged security icons.


• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges.


• If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.


• Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files.


• Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.


• Report suspicious activity to the FTC. If you get spam that is phishing for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov .

How to Survive a Phishing Attack
Sometimes, even the most cautious people fall prey to Internet scams. You are not alone. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission reported that 9.9 million U.S.

The Federal Trade Commission reported that 9.9 million U.S. residents have been victims of identify theft during the past year, costing businesses and financial institutions $48 billion and consumers $5 billion in out-of-pocket expenses.

residents have been victims of identify theft during the past year, costing businesses and financial institutions $48 billion and consumers $5 billion in out-of-pocket expenses.

If you believe you have responded to a phishing email, follow theses steps:

• Contact the organization that you thought sent you the email to confirm or dispel your beliefs.


• Cancel any credit card that you believe could be compromised.


• Close any accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
• Report your complaint at www.ftc.gov .

Visit www.ftc.gov/spam to learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam.