How to Spot Phishing Scams
Protect yourself against phishing, a technique for getting you to reveal sensitive personal information. Tricks include sending you an email or pop up message from a business you usually deal with. These notices ask you to confirm, update or verify information. Follow the FTC suggestions to steer clear of these scams.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Refrain from revealing financial information in an email. No reputable commercial institution will ask for your account information. Check with the company the email supposedly came from to make sure it's not a phishing scam(see Resources below).
-
2
Do not call any numbers or use any links contained in any email you suspect. You may unleash spyware that can take over your computer. It can even change a URL to a site of its own.
-
-
3
Remember not to fill any online forms asking for financial information. This includes your user names or any passwords you use. It also includes bank account numbers, debit or credit card numbers, your social security number or any other identifying number. These forms usually are part of a phishing scam.
-
4
Use a secure website when you transmit financially sensitive information. A secure encrypted website shows "https://" in its address bar. If the website you're using doesn't display this encryption, the site may be part of a phishing scam.
-
5
Keep your online accounts updated. Report any inaccuracies to institutions to ensure your identify hasn't already been taken over via a scam.
-
6
Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and use firewall protection. The software scans incoming information and the firewall keeps you "invisible" on the web and blocks unwanted communication, including pop ups that might be part of a phishing scam. Protect your email from these scams by using anti-spam settings that will alert you to messages that could be scams.
-
7
Exercise caution when opening attachments if you are at all suspicious about the email in question. Rule of thumb: if you don't know the sender, don't open the attachment. And if you do know the sender but don't expect an attachment from him, call him to verify its validity before opening.
-
1
