Posts tagged Phishing

What is Phishing?

Dec 23rd

Posted by Sean in Uncategorized

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We’ve been asked this question quite a few times in the past, so here is a brief explanation that should help some of you.

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What is Phishing?

by Melanie C

There are plenty of cheats and crooks out in cyber space and one of the ways they attempt to get someone’s personal information to use fraudulently is called Phishing. If you get an email from what looks to be a legitimate source telling you to click on a link to verify an account, then be suspicious immediately, even if the source claims to be from a bank or other website business you may deal with.

The fraudulent email may or may not have a letterhead or logo that the real business uses. If it does, don’t be fooled. There are other ways you can identify it as Phishing. It won’t have your full name, but a more generic term of address. It will provide a live link and urge you to click on it. And it will warn you that your account will be closed – or some other dire fate will come upon you – if you don’t click on the link.

Don’t be fooled into clicking on the link just to find out what it’s all about. Clicking on the link will allow the Phishers access to all your private information. Instead, delete the email and then delete it again from your ‘delete’ box. Remember that no legitimate business will ask you to click on anything or provide information through an email. They will use a snail mail message.

In conclusion, don’t be afraid of using internet banking – all you need to do is to follow good security practices for safe online banking.

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All About Protecting Yourself From Online Scams

Nov 19th

Posted by Heather in Internet Safety

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We all like to think we’re smart or savvy enough to not get caught up in one of those silly sounding Internet scams we hear about on the news or TV shows all the time. But if we’re all so smart then why are scammers still running these schemes?

Simple, because most of us, while feeling safe and secure in our homes or offices and browsing the web, can get engrossed in the copy we’re reading and let down our guard just enough to get suckered.

I like to think that as sad as that is for us when it happens, it reflects a positive character trait that we’re basically optimistic and wanting to trust in each other.

Hook, Line, Sinker (How I fell for a phishing ...

Image by ToastyKen via Flickr

Still, it would be better if we weren’t being duped to show our good nature, so here are some recent resources for educating yourself on the scams that are going around right now and how to avoid them.

  • Online Scams and Their Prevention : Scams are very common in our daily lives now. Be aware of them, and know as much as you can about it.
  • Phishing and Email Scams on the Internet : While the internet has provided many benefits in the form of information and commerce, it has also produced new types of fraud. Phishing and scams from Nigeria both use email to deliver their message. The Nigerian scams are also known as 419 fraud.
  • Hook, Line and Sinker – 9 Proven Methods You Can Use to Keep From Being Caught in an Email Scam : Phishing can be simply defined as an attempt to obtain personal and sensitive information, generally accomplished with a fraudulent e-mail or website. The scam artists, who we’ll call “phishermen,” falsely present themselves as legitimate persons and organizations via e-mail or a website (the bait) and reel the victim into believing they are communicating with a trusted source.
  • Spotting a Scam Before it Hits You : If you are going to go through life oblivious of the dangers of scams, then more than likely you are going to be a target. Spotting a scam can be the best way to ovoid falling into a nasty financial trap where you are the one snared and have no way of protecting yourself.
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