Don't Get Caught by Phishing Scams on the Internet!

There's a new Internet scam on the horizon that you need to know about to protect your financial security and even your own identity. It's called "phishing," and it's a high-tech scan that tricks you into divulging all sorts of personal information-everything from your social security number to bank account information to passwords is at risk.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that "phishers" send e-mails or pop-up messages to your computer claiming to be from an organization that you do business with. Phishers could be disguised as your bank or even a government agency.

Once they gain your trust by appearing as a "known" organization, they ask you to update or validate your account information. When you do, the phishers have access to your most personal information-that you gave directly to them! Phishers may then use your information to:

• Make unauthorized purchases with your credit card
• Use in an identity theft scam
• Sell to identity theft rings

Three Common Phishing Scams

One recent phishing scam involved Citibank. Victims were sent an e-mail with the following subject line: CITI BANK EMAIL Verification - your@email.com. They were then directed to a fake Web site, that looked remarkably authentic, and asked to "login" by giving their:

• Debit card number
• Checking account number
• ATM pin

Another scam involved the popular Internet site Paypal. Victims were sent an authentic-looking e-mail that said it was from "The Paypal Account Review Department." They were then redirected to a fake, but again real-looking, Web site and asked to "verify" their credit and debit card information.

A third, similar, scam involved eBay. Victims were sent an e-mail with the subject line: eBay Account Verification Email. They were then sent to a fake Web site that looked remarkably like eBay's and asked to submit their social security numbers, credit and debit card information and ATM pin numbers for a "security update."

How to Avoid Being Caught by Phishers

The FTC offers these tips to help you protect your identity and finances from Internet thieves:

• Never give personal or financial information out via e-mail or pop-up message. Legitimate organizations won't ask you to do this by e-mail.

• Don't send personal or financial information over e-mail-it's not a secure way to transmit sensitive information.

• Be sure that a company's Web site is secure (there may be a lock icon on the status bar, for instance) before conducting business online. No indicator is fool-proof, however.

• If you're in doubt, contact the organization by phone, using a number you know is reliable, and ask about your account.

• Review credit card and bank statements for unauthorized changes or transactions.

• Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date.

• Be wary of downloading any attachments or files from e-mails, even if they're from someone you think is reliable.

• Report suspicious activity to the FTC. Spam mail that is requesting information can be forwarded to spam@uce.gov.

• If you believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov.

• The FTC's Identity Theft Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft offers great tips on how to lessen your risk of falling prey to an identity theft scam.

Sources

Federal Trade Commission: How Not to Get Hooked by a Phishing Scam

Fraud Watch International