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You receive an email from your bank warning you that your account information needs to be updated urgently or else it will be suspended. The message will look authentic enough not to rouse initial suspicion and will impress on you the need to act with urgency. You would key in your name, account number, password and other important data required to access your account. Unknowingly, you have just swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker of electronic criminal elements. Welcome to the world of phishing schemes.
Phishing has become one of the most common methods of electronically stealing people's identities. People never seem to learn and phishers continue to rake in millions of dollars from their victims. Yet, phishing can be detected and avoided if people will just exercise some caution and not take the bait.
The first basic rule is to be naturally wary and suspicious. The emails and web sites used in these phishing schemes are often remarkably accurate in appearance and tone to the real thing. So you will not easily notice anything unusual. However, there are a couple of things that can alert you to danger.
First, check how the email is addressed. If the message is not addressed to you personally, it needs to be confirmed. Legitimate emails from these companies will use your name in the salutation. If your name is not on it and the email address says dear customers, put your reply on hold and seek confirmation from the supposed sender.
Your next object of interest should what the message is saying. A typical phishing message would have a threatening tenor that is meant to force you to take precipitate action without thinking of the repercussions. Don't fall into their trap! Call the bank or whatever company it is supposed to be and demand clarification and details of whatever is the alleged problem with your account.
Finally, never click on a link in the email. These links will redirect you to the attackers' web site. The company for sure has a website, so you should direct your enquiries there. For example, if you received an email supposedly from Ebay about your account, you would type www.ebay.com into your browser instead of using the link in th email. That way you can check the status of your account safely because you'll know you are at the right location.
Phishing has become one of the most common methods of electronically stealing people's identities. People never seem to learn and phishers continue to rake in millions of dollars from their victims. Yet, phishing can be detected and avoided if people will just exercise some caution and not take the bait.
The first basic rule is to be naturally wary and suspicious. The emails and web sites used in these phishing schemes are often remarkably accurate in appearance and tone to the real thing. So you will not easily notice anything unusual. However, there are a couple of things that can alert you to danger.
First, check how the email is addressed. If the message is not addressed to you personally, it needs to be confirmed. Legitimate emails from these companies will use your name in the salutation. If your name is not on it and the email address says dear customers, put your reply on hold and seek confirmation from the supposed sender.
Your next object of interest should what the message is saying. A typical phishing message would have a threatening tenor that is meant to force you to take precipitate action without thinking of the repercussions. Don't fall into their trap! Call the bank or whatever company it is supposed to be and demand clarification and details of whatever is the alleged problem with your account.
Finally, never click on a link in the email. These links will redirect you to the attackers' web site. The company for sure has a website, so you should direct your enquiries there. For example, if you received an email supposedly from Ebay about your account, you would type www.ebay.com into your browser instead of using the link in th email. That way you can check the status of your account safely because you'll know you are at the right location.
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