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Internet scammers casting about for people's financial information have a
new way to lure unsuspecting victims: They go "phishing."
Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive
you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information,
Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or
pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you
deal with - for example, your Internet service provider (ISP), bank,
online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually
says that you need to "update" or "validate" your account information. It
might threaten some dire consequence if you don't respond. The message
directs you to a Web site that looks just like a legitimate organization's
site, but it isn't. The purpose of the bogus site? To trick you into
divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your
identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
The FTC, the nation's consumer protection agency, suggests these tips to
help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam:
If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial
information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate
companies don't ask for this information via email. If you are concerned
about your account, contact the organization in the email using a
telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser
session and type in the company's correct Web address. In any case, don't
cut and paste the link in the message.
Don't email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure
method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction
and want to provide your personal or financial information through an
organization's Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure, like
a lock icon on the browser's status bar or a URL for a website that begins
"https:" (the "s" stands for "secure"). Unfortunately, no indicator is
foolproof; some phishers have forged security icons.
Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them
to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If your statement
is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or
bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Some phishing emails
contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on
the Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall
can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files.
Anti-virus software scans incoming communications for troublesome files.
Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses as well as
older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that updates
automatically.
A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all
communications from unauthorized sources. It's especially important to run
a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Finally, your operating
system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software "patches" to close
holes in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.
Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from
emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
Report suspicious activity to the FTC. If you get spam that is phishing
for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov . If you believe you've been
scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov , and then visit the FTC's
Identity Theft Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft to learn how to
minimize your risk of damage from ID theft. Visit
www.ftc.gov/spam to
learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair
business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help
consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free
information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free,
1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters
Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related
complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to
hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and
abroad.
For more information about phishing and ways for consumers to protect
themselves, go to
http://www.antiphishing.org/ .
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