How to Report a Phishing Email Scam

The Internet has changed the way we find and share information. Unfortunately, along with the "information age" we also have new scams and tricks which can cause significant harm to unwary Internet users. The term "phishing" refers to a criminal activity in which "phishers" attempt to scam people out of sensitive information such as passwords and credit card information. Phishing scams are typically carried out using fraudulent emails which claim to be from legitimate business such as banks, online stores or internet services such as PayPal. To protect yourself from phishers, it's good to know what to do with phishing emails that you receive.

Things You'll Need

• Anti-phishing organization email addresses.
• The email address of the company you must report the phishing email to.

Instructions

1. Forward the phishing email to the company which is impersonated in it. If, for example, you receive a phishing email from a bank, forward it to the bank the email claims to be from. Attach a message to the email stating that you received it and are forwarding it to inform the company about the scam.

2. Forward the phishing email to anti-phishing organizations, with a similar message attached. Check the "Resources" section of this article for email addresses to use.

Tips & Warnings

• Legitimate companies will never ask you for sensitive information such as usernames, passwords or credit card details via email. If any email you receive causes you to become concerned about your account with the business in question, contact them via telephone with a number that you know is genuine.

• Remember that email is not a secure way of transmitting sensitive information. If you need to transmit such information online, do it through an organization's Web site, and look for indications that the site is secure (a secure site will be indicated by a lock icon on your browser's status bar, and a Web address that begins with the prefix "https").

• Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer and run regular scans. If you have a broadband connection, it's particularly important to use a firewall (IP addresses for broadband connections are static, making them more vulnerable than dial-up connections, which have IP addresses that change each time you connect).

• Be wary of downloading files and opening attachments you receive via email, even if you know who sent them. Run a virus scan on files before you download them.

• Never, under any circumstances, reply to a phishing email or click on any links in a phishing email. When it comes to Internet safety, it is always best to be cautious.