 Phishing is a scam where Internet fraudsters send spam or pop-up messages to
lure personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. To avoid
getting hooked:
- Don't reply to email or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial
information, and don't click on links in the message. Don't cut and paste a
link from the message into your Web browser - phishers can make links
look like they go one place, but that actually send you to a different site.
- If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization using a
phone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session
and type in the company's correct Web address yourself.
- Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and
update them all regularly.
- Don't email personal or financial information.
- Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them
to check for unauthorized charges.
- Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from
emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
- Forward spam that is phishing for information to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or
organization impersonated in the phishing email. You also may report phishing
email to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.
The Anti-Phishing Working Group, a consortium of ISPs, security vendors,
financial institutions and law enforcement agencies, uses these reports to
fight phishing.
- If you've been scammed, visit the Federal Trade Commission's Identity
Theft website at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.
Article courtesy of onGuardOnline.gov and the FTC
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