First of all, for those of you unfamiliar with the term,
\"Phishing\" is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages
to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank
account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other
sensitive information.
Phishers send an e-mail or pop-up message that claims to be from
a business or organization that you deal with--for example, your
Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service,
or even a government agency. The message usually says that you
need to \"update\" or \"validate\" your account information.
It might even threaten some dire consequence if you dont
respond. The message directs you to a website that looks exactly
like a legitimate organizations site, but it\'s not. The purpose
of the bogus site is to trick you into divulging your personal
information so the fraudsters can steal your identity and your
money and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
Recent phishing victims include Yahoo, Citibank, eBay, Best Buy
and Bank of America among others.
The Federal Trade Commission, (FTC) the nations consumer
protection agency, suggests these tips to help you avoid getting
hooked by a phishing scam:
If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or
financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the
message. Legitimate companies dont ask for this information via
email. If you are concerned about your account, contact the
organization in the e-mail using a telephone number you know to
be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in
the company\'s correct web address. DO NOT click on the link in
the e-mail message.
Dont e-mail personal or financial information. E-mail 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 organizations website, look
for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the
browsers 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
e-mails 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.
Anti-virus software scans incoming communications for
troublesome files. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes
current viruses as well as older ones; that can effectively
reverse the damage; and that updates automatically.
I personally use Norton AntiVirus and have never had any virus
problems whatsoever.
A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks
all communications from unauthorized sources. Its especially
important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection.
If you haven\'t already done so, I highly recommend installing
Microsoft\'s Service Pack 2. SP2 tightens your PC\'s security with
a new Windows Firewall, an improved Automatic Updates feature,
and a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer. Plus, the newly
minted Security Center gives you one easy-to-use interface for
keeping tabs on your PC\'s security apps.
In addition, be extra careful about opening any attachment or
downloading any files from e-mails 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.
If you believe youve been scammed, file your complaint at:
http://www.ftc.gov, and then visit the FTCs Identity Theft
website at:
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft, to learn how to minimize your
risk of damage from ID theft.
