| Phishing - For You! |
By LauraQuarantiello
© Tiare Publications Group
333 words
They call it "phishing" - trolling for information using spam, trying
to catch -- you, or rather, your identity. A recent survey estimated
that 7 million adults in the U.S. were victims of identity theft, a
79% increase over last year. Although identity theft is mostly
practiced off-line the online world is experiencing this crime at an
increased rate.
Dubbed "phishing," scam artists send fraudulent emails to customers
of service providers or retailers with whom customers regularly do
business (recent targets have included eBay, Pay Pal and Earthlink).
The emails look as though they came from the provider and claim they
need the consumer to verify his or her account information. Customers
are asked to click on a link that directs them to a page designed to
mimic the service provider's site. This fake page asks the customer
to re-submit their personal information for the account, sometimes
including passwords and even the social security number.
All of this information is grabbed by the scammer who can then use it
to make purchases, hack into bank accounts and otherwise steal your
identify.
How do you know if an email is from a legitimate source? It's
difficult, but officials say a major tip off is when the email claims
the information is needed due to a computer crash or other problem.
Another clue can be found in the URL of the site you asked to visit:
secure sites often use "htpps" instead of "http" at the beginning of
the URL address.
Experts warn consumers never to respond to any email, which asks for
passwords, account numbers, social security number or other personal
account information. Reputable companies will never ask for this kind
of information via email. Never click on links within emails. If you
wish to visit the site enter the URL address in the browser. Also, to
verify a questionable email link send a message to the provider and
attach the email you received.
Online identity theft is growing. Be aware, and don't become a victim.
(End)
Laura Quarantiello is the author of "Cyber Crime - How to Protect
Yourself From Computer Criminals" - a plain English guide to staying
clear of the cyber nasties roaming the Internet. You and your
computer will breath a sigh of relief after reading this book. More
info at: http://www.tiare.com/cyber.htm
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