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Phishing Scams Can Take You for Thousands

phishing

by Christi Lundquist

If you aren't already aware, there is an extremely common email and website scam known as "phishing", which is the practice of distributing and publishing email messages and websites that are designed to look like legitimate sites. They are designed to deceive the reader into giving up valuable personal information like usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information, or social security numbers.

There are many different techniques and tactics that thieves will design to dupe the reader into submitting your information, which can then be used to gain access to your personal and financial information. Most of these tactics involve unsolicited email messages, and are usually sent repeatedly and from several companies at a time. The emails are being sent fraudulently using the names of many different highly recognizable business names, financial institutions, and government agencies.

There are some similarities between the spam emails, however, as the most common ones claim that your eBay, PayPal, Bank of America, or Chase Bank account has been compromised or is being updated. Education is the key to preventing this crime from happening to you, so consider yourself warned if you hadn't already caught on to the abundance of emails flooding into your inbox. Typically they will refer to you as "customer" or use your email address to greet you instead of your username, which is typically how your banking institution or eBay and PayPal accounts do it. This should be the first signal. Many of the links will lead to fraudulent or fake websites that look like the real McCoy. You perceive the website as legitimate, and enter your information, and – poof! Your money's gone.

Phishing is one of the most invasive, fastest growing types of spam affecting the internet world-wide. Businesses are particularly at risk due to the assets a company can hold. Microsoft offers a guide to keeping your business from being "Hooked by Phishing", providing tips on protecting your company from identity and data thieves.

I just downloaded the new Internet Explorer 7, and identity theft seems to have been taken into consideration when the browser was updated. The new version sports a new "phishing filter" that functions in a way as a security and social networking ID theft deterrent. It works by scanning the websites that you visit, and warns you if they appear to be potentially suspicious. There is also up-to-the-hour online information through an online service and blocks you from having your personal information transferred if a site is known as a phishing website. Not only does it act as an early warning signal, but it also blocks you from potential phishing sites known for phishing activity. The filter reports phishing websites from both end users and third party data sources, helping to protect users from sites that could be engaging in identity and data theft.

You can get the new Phishing Filter Add-In by installing updates for Internet Explorer. Simply click the "Help" list on your browser tools in the top of your window, and then click "Check for Updates."

Mar 19, 2007

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