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Phishing (or email fraud) is one of the fastest
growing online frauds today. It uses spam email to defraud victims.
It
is becoming
increasingly
common - and increasingly dangerous.
Phishers send out emails falsely claiming to be an established
and legitimate company in an attempt to scam users into surrendering
private information that will subsequently be used for identity
theft. The email directs the user to a website where they are
asked to update personal information. This can include passwords
and credit cards, social security, bank account numbers and other
sensitive information that the legitimate organization already
has on file.
This website is bogus even though it looks identical to the
legitimate site. Once a customer has updated their data, the
phishers steal the identity and run up bills in your name or
uses it to commit other crimes.
A common phishing technique involves creating the impression
that there is an immediate need for personal information, luring
unsuspecting users to quickly click on a link to these bogus
sites. By spamming large groups of people, phishers can convince
up to five percent of email users to reveal sensitive and personal
information.
Prevention Tips
One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from phishers is
to take simple precautions.
- Do not respond to unsolicited emails
that ask for any personal information regardless of how urgent
the request appears. Legitimate
companies do not ask for personal or sensitive information
in this format. If you are concerned about your account - contact
the company directly using an email address or phone number
that
you know is legitimate.
- Do not email any personal or financial
information. If you initiate a purchase online, look for indicators
that the site
is secure.
E.g. a lock icon, a url that begins with "https:" (the "s" stands
for secure)
- Review your credit card and bank statements as
you receive them to ensure that all transactions are legitimate.
- Get spam and anti-virus protection such as our Email
Defense product. Using the same methods to detect spam, phishing
emails can be identified and filtered out of inbound email
to stop
you from receiving them. Our anti-spam rules, automatically
protect
you from anti-fraud and phishing scams before they enter
your inbox.
- Report anything suspicious. Contact the legitimate
company in the suspect email using an email address or phone
number
that
you know is correct.
Been Phished?
If you believe that you responded to a phishing email and provided
sensitive and personal information to a bogus website:
- Contact
the legitimate company in the suspect email using an email
address or phone number that you know is correct.
- Contact
your credit card company and request that a fraud alert be
placed on your card(s).
- Take preventative action for the
future through awareness and by investing in an anti-spam
and anti-virus service.
Protect yourself and your customers from phishing.
Be aware of what it is and take preventative measures. Related Articles:
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