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.
How do I identify a
Phishing attempt?
According to the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC), phishers send an email 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
threaten some dire consequence if you don’t respond. The message
directs you to a Web site that looks just like a legitimate
organization’s site, but it isn’t. The purpose of the bogus
site? To trick you into divulging your personal information so
the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit
crimes in your name.
How can I protect
myself from Phishing?
The FTC, the nation’s 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 don’t ask for this information via email.
If you are concerned about your account, contact the
organization in the email 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. In any case, don’t cut and
paste the link in the message.
-
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. 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.
A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks
all communications from unauthorized sources. It’s especially
important to run a firewall if you have a broadband
connection. Finally, your operating system (like Windows or
Linux) may offer free software “patches” to close holes in the
system that hackers or phishers could exploit.
-
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.
If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at
www.ftc.gov, and then visit
the FTC’s Identity Theft Web site at
www.consumer.gov/idtheft to learn how to minimize your
risk of damage from ID theft. Visit
www.ftc.gov/spam to
learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive
spam.
Where can I get
more information on phishing?
The FTC works for the
consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business
practices in the marketplace and to provide information to
help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a
complaint or to get
free information on consumer issues, visit
www.ftc.gov or call
toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY:
1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing,
identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into
Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to
hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the
U.S. and abroad.
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