How Do I Stop Phishing on My Phone?

Phishing is a term used to describe schemes to steal your identity. These schemes may be as complicated as sending emails claiming that your bank account has been shut down and asking you to provide information, or as simple as calling you and pretending to be a representative of a legitimate company that needs your personal information. It's relatively easy to stop phishing via your phone.

Instructions

1. Ask that callers identify themselves and answer your questions. Phishing schemes hinge on the phisherman being accepted as a legitimate authority figure. If you ask questions that he can't answer, the scheme loses credibility. Get the person's name, whom he works for and his position at the institution. Also ask for his contact information including phone number and website address.

2. Don't give private information over the phone to a person who calls you. If you need to give information to a company (say your insurance company or your bank), you should be the one who calls the company, using a number from the company's website or the phone book.

3. Report all suspicious activity to your company and the police. Call your insurance company or bank and ask if the person who called you is actually a representative of the company. If the person who called was a phisherman, report her to the police.

References

• Schneier: Schneir on Security
• Phone Phishing: Report Phishing Attempts