Identity Theft

A Different Kind of Phishing

Identity Theft Alert - One of the most common current computer scams is called "Phishing, which is pronounced as "fishing." This is the computer slang for a new online scam that is being conducted via emails. It is an attempt to gain your personal information such as social security numbers, birthday, passwords, and other information that can be used to steal your identity.

The crooks send emails that are designed to trick you into responding with your personal information. The phony emails may appear to be from your bank, Ebay, credit card company or any other financial institution. Generally, they will tell you that there is some difficulty with your account and will request that you provide personal information in order to verify your identity. Frequently the email is accompanied by a threat that unless the information is provided soon, services will be terminated or bank fees will be imposed. Frequently there is a link that you are requested to click on so that you can visit the website and provide the requested information.

All too frequently, the email may appear to be legitimate. It may have corporate logos that match your financial institution's, and there may be an accompanying website that appears to be legitimate. DO NOT BE MISLED. Sophisticated computer crooks can easily "hack" a phony website to look like the real thing. Under no circumstances should you ever provide personal information to unsolicited emails that request it.

Warning Signs:

There are some warning signs that you can be aware of.

  1. If the email contains misspellings, typographical errors or poor grammar, you can count on the fact that it wasn't sent by a legitimate financial institution.
  2. Any email that requests a "verification" that includes your providing personal information should be a tip that it is a phony email. If you are uncertain about the status of your account, call the financial institution directly. Find their number in a phone book and ask them if they sent you the email. They will assure you that the email is fraudulent and will frequently assist you in reporting it to the proper authorities.
  3. If there is a time deadline to respond, that is another clue that the email is fraudulent. Under California law consumers generally have time limits that work in their favor, and that provide additional time for consumers to correct a problem. A time deadline in an email should be a give-away that the email is fraudulent and that the crooks are tyring to rush you into responding without thinking.
  4. If the email is not addressed to you personally, or your name is misspelled, that should be another clue that the email is fraudulent. Often the phony emails may refer to you as "esteemed customer" or some other generic name.
  5. Emails from financial institutions other than yours. Obviously, if you have never been a customer with American Express and you suddently receive an email from them requesting that you update your personal account, you should report it as a fraudulent email.
  6. Often times large scale phishing scams include a link in the email to a website, and request that you click on the link to visit the website. This is another method that the crooks use to obtain your personal information. The crooks can create a website that looks exactly like the real thing, but instead of sending the information to your bank, you are sending the information to the crook's "lookalike" website. This is known as "pharming." Some Internet web browsers such as Firefox, have programs that will alert you if you ever accidentally sign on to a phony website.

Finally, if you are ever the victim of a phishing attack, you can report it to the proper authorities. Some companies, such as Earthlink, have set up email addresses where you can report fraud.

For more information, visit the following websites:

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