What is Phishing? (Pronounced: Fishing)
The definition from Computerworld states: “Phishing is a technique used to gain personal information for purposes of identity theft, using fraudulent e-mail messages that appear to come from legitimate businesses. These authentic-looking messages are designed to fool recipients into divulging personal data such as account numbers and passwords, credit card numbers and Social Security numbers.”
How to Recognize a Phishing Scam
-They tend to be e-mails asking you to provide your personal information to verify your account or to ensure the account is not terminated.
-False claims will come disguised as legitimate companies such as: banks (US Bank, Bank Midwest, Citizens Bank, etc), credit lenders (Capital One, Chase, etc), eBay, PayPal, etc.
-Look for typos or bad grammar in the e-mail
-Phishing emails will convey a sense of urgency so the user will feel they need to respond immediately.
-For more information and examples:http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/phishing-scams.aspx
What to Do If You Are a Victim
-Individuals can contact the following agencies:
-Contact the company that the email appears to be from
-Also, please forward such emails to Truman’s Barracuda spam filter : spam@barracuda.com
-For more information on reporting phishing websites, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930167
Ways to Avoid Phishing Scams
-Be aware that the threat is real.
-Keep in mind that no legitimate company will ever ask you to verify your password or account information via e-mail.
-Always be suspicious of any email message that asks to verify personal information. Never reply to or click the web links in the email message.
-If the message appears to be legitimate, then go directly to the company’s web site or contact the company directly by phone (do not use the link or phone number in the email itself).
-To view recent scams, visit https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts
Other Phishing Techniques
-Attempt to get a user to call a phone number (instead of directing them through a website). Once the number is called, the user is then asked for their account information.
-Fake websites (this technique is called pharming).
Damaged Caused by Online Scams
-$800 million dollars in 2014 (source www.ic3.gov annual report)
-Loss of personal finances
-Mental discord
-Destruction of Credit History
Additional Information:
-Email Spoofing: http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Email-Spoofing.html
-Vishing: http://www.ic3.gov/media/2008/080117.htm
-Truman’s Spam Filtering Information: http://wpinternal.truman.edu/its/docs/barracuda-spam-firewall/