When Something Smells Phishy
New here? You may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Phishing is the practice of someone posing as someone else to get information they shouldn’t have. It’s something that’s been with us for millenia, but in the online world, it’s reach is virtually limitless. And when they get the information they’re looking for, it most often leads to tragic results for the person they took it from.
You may have heard or seen such e-mails floating around where they pose as your bank or credit card company, or even some place like eBay. The e-mail looks pretty convincing, too, because it may have the company’s logo and other “official-looking” elements the company would typically use. They could even point you to a special site of their own making that looks like the real thing.
The claims they make usually involve something like their customer database crashed so they’re contacting their customers to verify that their account information is correct, or that it needs updating.
Don’t fall for it!
No respectable company will ask you for your account number, username and password or any sensitive information in an e-mail. They know of the lawsuits that could result from having that sensitive information spread around the Web, which is why they steer clear from it.
Here’s a list of do’s and dont’s you should consider when faced with an e-mail that smells phishy:
- A form that’s included in the e-mail message should be your first clue that it may be a scam. Never enter the information they’re asking for in that form.
- Never visit the link that’s offered in the e-mail message. It could take you to their own site and fool you even more. Instead, type in the address that you’re familiar with into you’re browser’s address field.
- Call the company in question to verify the validity of the message. Again, use the number you have on file, or the one you find in the phone book…NOT what they give you in the message.
Surf safely! 
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Ken,
Your blog has grown to amazing proportions and is full of excellent information. Thank you for providing this information to the community of web users who still care about morality, safety, and privacy.
All the best,
Cynthia