If you have received a phishing email, would you be able to recognize it before it too late? Phishing is a crime in which identity thieves try to obtain sensitive personal information from you by posing as a trusted source in the electronic communication. For example, an identity thief may pose as a friend, your bank or your favorite charity in an attempt to get your credit card information, account passwords, and more.
phishers can you targeted email, text, social media messages, and pop-up ads, and they get more sophisticated in their efforts daily. Here are some red flags to watch for and what you can do about them so that you do not become the next victim of a phishing scam.
Watch for words like "Check" and "Confirm"
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), three of the most commonly used in phishing scams ploys include emails or text with the following messages:
- "We noticed a suspicious transaction on your account to ensure that your account is not compromised, please click on the link. -Dessous to verify your identity. "
- " in a review of our accounts, we could not confirm your information. Click here to review and confirm your information. "
- " your account was overloaded. please call within seven days for a refund. "
Financial institutions will never ask you to verify or confirm anything that requires log-in information online. Your bank or other financial institution already knows the information; they ask you.
Beware of Urgency
It is the dream of every phisher to have you act first and later, creating a sense of urgency that works for fraudsters . legitimate entities do not, then you should be instantly suspicious when you see it. For example, email or text could mean that you only have X days to respond or ask you to take immediate action of some sort. Remember that legitimate institutions are going to call, no email you in case of a real emergency. And even then they will not ask for sensitive information; they usually just ask you to verify some activity on your account.
Look for illegitimate links
Always be wary of emails that contain links. Often, the phishers will include the link text that appears legitimate, as http://BankofAmerica.com. However, when you mouse over the link, you'll see the actual URL that you will need. If the two are different, something is up
When you mouse over the link, so make sure it starts with. "Https: //" if you know the site is encrypted. Finally, do not be fooled by URLs that have apparently credible parts for them, as "http://www.BankofAmerica-verification.com." A financial institution would not be a separate website just for identity verification, so you know that the site is a ploy
Various Red Flags
Here are some characteristics of phishing messages you'll want to look for :.
- Misspellings and typos. legitimate emails are misspelled words, poor or missing punctuation and bad grammar. The e-mails from financial institutions and credible companies are well polished and well edited, so if you see errors, leaving the only email.
- generic greeting. phishing messages often begin with greetings indefinable, like "Dear Customer" or "account user Cher." Legitimate companies generally use your real name.
- key missing site. If you go to a website that looks trustworthy, look for the key to your website before entering your login information. key site are images that you choose when creating your login information. increasingly financial institutions use to protect your credentials. If yours is missing, leave the site immediately.
- suspicious attachments. financial institutions usually do not send attachments in their email communication. Download an attachment could lead to malicious software automatically installed on your computer, so watch for attachments at high risk such as .exe, .scr, .zip and.
What if you are a victim of Phishing Scam A
prevention is always the best protection from online identity. Do not click links, call phone numbers, or download attachments included in suspicious emails. If you receive an email and a concern about your account, call the number on the back of your credit card or go to the main website of the company (not the one included in the e-mail).
Moreover, all is not lost if you realize that you have fallen prey to phishers. Here are the steps you can take to minimize the risk to your identity and accounts:
- Update your antivirus program and scan your computer. Make sure you have the latest version of your antivirus software and run a full system scan.
- Get in touch with the credit bureaus. You can place a fraud alert on your credit with one of the three credit bureaus for free. This lets creditors know that you could be victim of identity theft.
- Change your login credentials. If you have found the log-in information, make sure to change your passwords immediately.
- Forward the email to the institution. That the institution of the phisher pretends to be about the email and send it to spam@uce.gov.
phishers are coming up with more compelling messages all the time. With these tips, however, you have the knowledge to identify suspicious emails and take steps to protect yourself.
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