No. I'm not talking here about the outdoor activity enjoyed by many. And no again; I did not misspell it. Phishing is the name given to the latest online scam where millions of unwary Americans are getting their identities stolen.
This fraudulent activity is considered the fastest growing crime of modern times. The favorite target groups of phishers seem to be very young children and senior citizens, as they do not often ask for credit reports, fill out credit card applications or solicit loans. This allows the thieves to go undetected for longer periods of time; but still, be careful. We all are potential targets.
Remember when throwing away unshredded documents with personal information in the trash bin was considered a big risk for identity theft? While this still happens, identity thieves have become more sophisticated in recent times, and this is how they do it?
Phishers create bogus e-mails that look as if they came from large, well-known institutions and banks, such as eBay, Paypal, Citibank, EarthLink, and Wells Fargo among others. These e-mails claim that you are due for an account update, or that the account number, password, social security number or other confidential information needs to be verified. Then they warn you, stating that if you do not do it within a certain period of time, that your account will be closed, terminated, the service discontinued, or something to that effect.
They even provide you with links to websites that look legitimate, because they hijack the real logos of these well known banks, and trusted institutions and companies. And that is the scary part? these e-mails look 100% legitimate, but they are not.
In some cases it goes even further? some of these phishers are installing spyware on your computer to monitor your online activities. So? should you leave the online world for good? Not necessarily.
These are a few things you can do to protect yourself from these scammers:
1. Do not respond to any e-mail that asks for personal information from you, such as account number, credit card number, user names, passwords, etc. If you suspect that the e-mail, indeed, be legitimate, contact your bank or institution to verify this.
2. When in doubt, visit the Anti-Phishing Working Group for an update of the latest scams, and tips to avoid becoming a victim. The website's URL is www.antiphishing.org
3. Websites like www.Paypal.com, www.citibank.com, and www.ebay.com, offer security tips and tell you what information they'd never ask for in an e-mail.
4. Get anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.
5. If you suspect you have received a fraudulent e-mail, do not click on any links within it, and forward it to the FTC at uce@FTC.gov
Finally, if you suspect you've been a victim of this fraud, get a copy of your credit report immediately to check for unusual activity. If you discover that you've been a victim of identity theft, close your account at once and?
- Call the Credit Bureau.
- File a police report.
- Call the FTC ID theft hotline at (877)IDTHEFT.
- Alert other financial institutions where you have accounts.
According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, phishers send millions of e-mails a day, getting about 5% response. Even with this low response, it is estimated that about 150,000 Americans have fallen prey to these scams since May of 2004. Get informed. Do not become a victim yourself.
==============================================
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
E-mail: marketingplanet1@aol.com
November, 2004.
==============================================
Tamara Baruhovich is the author of "Straight Talk about Network Marketing" A no hype, no B.S. e-course that shouldn't be missed if you are serious about starting a successful career in Network Marketing! Get your complimentary copy here? e-course04@aweber.com
green cleaning service Park Ridge ..As most small, medium and large businesses in this country... Read More
We've all become familiar with the term spam. It's become... Read More
Effectively stopping spam over the long-term requires much more than... Read More
Marketers usually think of anti-spam tactics as 'how to prevent'... Read More
Spam can bring down your website faster than a speeding... Read More
Are you tired of spam stealing your time, your money,... Read More
My friends in the web hosting business have recently informed... Read More
Block Spam and Other Email Threats From Entering Your Gateway... Read More
Very often SPAMMERS take advantage of catch-all email setup on... Read More
The harmful affects of pornography use and addiction are well... Read More
No. I'm not talking here about the outdoor activity enjoyed... Read More
Spam. Those annoying, time-consuming emails that clog your Inbox and... Read More
What is spam ? ... Read More
6 August, 2004: Polesoft Inc., home of Professional anti spam... Read More
What do they do? How do they work? Which one... Read More
Spam. You've all heard of the crazy pink meat in... Read More
With SPAM being such a problem it might seem the... Read More
Your message is not being delivered.If you send emails to... Read More
What comes to your mind when you think about your... Read More
Email is the quintessential business communication tool, so when it... Read More
You all tear your hair out in frustration every time... Read More
You're not alone!Who hasn't surfed the web looking for information... Read More
Spam can be a lot more damaging than you might... Read More
Are you getting too much spam? We all are, but... Read More
It seems like the volume of email spam has doubled... Read More
emergency cleaning services Morton Grove ..Stop intrusive pop-up ads and regain control of your online... Read More
While we all agree that there`s way too much spamming/junk-mailing... Read More
It's no secret that the US economy has slowed down,... Read More
You all tear your hair out in frustration every time... Read More
Google is engaged in a war. It is a war... Read More
When you go to your mailbox and find pieces of... Read More
Spam can bring down your website faster than a speeding... Read More
It's a nightmare isn't it? You fire up your email... Read More
If you're anything like me, you're pretty sick of it,... Read More
What comes to your mind when you think about your... Read More
Even being as careful as possible with my email address,... Read More
Spam filter is the solution that most people resort when... Read More
Let me ask a couple of questions:If (potential) customers sends... Read More
Death by spam is now possible with a new device... Read More
You just sat at your desk, opened your email account... Read More
Phishing is rapidly becoming on the largest threats to your... Read More
A friend of mine received a chilling email message from... Read More
... and you'd better sit up and take notice! Customers... Read More
The harmful affects of pornography use and addiction are well... Read More
I'm really, truly fed up with spam. Every day when... Read More
Spam can be a lot more damaging than you might... Read More
You're not alone!Who hasn't surfed the web looking for information... Read More
What's the big deal? All you read on the internet... Read More
I'm sure you find spam just as frustrating and annoying... Read More
2004 was really a year when the whole subject of... Read More
Spam Blocking |