ID Theft Protection - Email Phishing
One of the most commn methods of phishing is known as e-mail phishing. It has snared many victims over the years into giving up personal information using tricks, intimidation, and sometimes anger. I should know, I was one of the victims.
My first experiences with this type of e-mail was related to my Ebay.com account. I started getting bogus messages regarding fictitous account activity. Obviously it never happened, but I was getting angry with some of the messages I got. Some were designed to be threatening, while others merely asked questions regarding fake auctions.
Other messages I gotwere referring to my Paypal account. They also fell into the same themes. Either threats (of account closure) or notices of an illegal entry or attempt at entry. There were others, but these give you the general idea
.After my Ebay account had been hijacked several times and then suspended by ebay, I started catching on to the scams. I picked up on what they were trying to do and how to spot them right away.
Here are a few things I learned:
One of the first things I do now is check what the url repeater shows. As most messages are in html, the page may show the actual link to the legitimate site, BUT place your mouse pointer on the link (without clicking) and look at the url repeater. Often times, the url will not be the same. In other cases, the urls will look very similar and alomost identical to legitimate urls.
Here’s a tip:
If in doubt, open another window and log into your account DIRECTLY. Don’t go thru the link on the e-mail.
Another thing to look at is how the message is addressing you the reader.If you see anything like these:
It a good bet that it is a fraud.
Notice that these messages are design to provoke an immediate reaction (or to convey a sense of urgency). Some of the scam meesages I got regarding my ebay account were designed to make me angry. The tone, the messages, the threats.
An important point to mention about these bogus sites. They may also have malware, viruses, etc imbedded in them. They are designed to attempt to infiltrate your computer to locate your personal and financial information and send it out to the thieves. In some cases, they may try to turn your computer into a drone which will send out the viruses to other computers.
Another ironic note here is that I have even had messages about accounts from banks and such I don’t even have. They have all followed the same patterns I have mentioned above.
Your Best Solutions To This Threat
THere are a number of ways to deal with this threat. The best is mentioned above. Whenever you are in doubt (and even if you aren’t) open another window and log into your account directly. If the message really did come from the legitimate website in question, there will (or should) be a copy of it present in your member’s area.
Some internet browser makers are trying to help you by adding the “anti phishing” feature. It can alert you to the threat by use of colors. Green being ok. Red meaning warning! If it turns red, it will often display a warning message as to why. HEED THOSE WARNINGS! It could very well save you from a costly error in judgement!
Still another way is to install, update, or upgrade, your firewall software. There are a number of new firewalls that offer this as part of their features. In my opinion this is a wise investment and can give you some measure of peace of mind. It is always important to keep your computer updated in every way possible to aid in your defence.
A Final note:
When you get the fraudulent messages it is always a good idea to forward them to the legitimate site’s security center as a complaint. You can do this by e-mail in most cases.
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