Has your information been stolen by an online scam? Also known as carding or brand spoofing, the idea behind the term Phishing is to throw out bait to millions of online users and see what sticks. While most will ignore and delete this e-mail that comes into their inbox, a few fall for the scam and the thieves profit from their ignorance. Be aware of Phishing as it is a fraudulent attempt to steal your personal information that is usually carried out using emails.
In this online identity theft, the fraudster sends an email to the user and falsely claims to be an established enterprise. The email tricks the user in clicking on the inserted link that takes him to the website of the company. However, this website is actually fake and is a copy of the original one. Creating such websites that are an exact replica of the original is not too difficult. Generally, the user is prompted to enter the related user name and password citing a good reason. These include system update, loss of data, upgrade to premium membership and system breakdown to name a few.
The details asked are usually related to credit card, bank account and social security numbers, to name a few. Sometimes, a kind of warning is also included in the message that calls for an immediate action, which if not taken may lead to blocking of an account or other serious consequences. Once entered, the details are stolen. The fraudster uses the information for shopping, taking out cash and basically robbing the unsuspecting individual.
Keeping yourself safe and secure in case of a phishing attack is not really difficult. Here are a few points that can be of great help.
1) Check the Email ID
The phishing mail would be from a fake account that closely resembles the actual email id. However, a careful consideration can help you figure out the difference. Ignore the mail completely.
2) Do Not Click on Links Inserted in the Mail
Instead of clicking on the links inserted in the mail, it is better to open a new window in the browser and type the related URL. This would help in preventing a visit to the fake site that is a copy of the original and save you from the attack.
3) Check the Site URL
Even if you have clicked on the inserted link and are prompted to provide the login details, check the URL of website carefully. It would be a little different from the actual one. A few alterations might include a spelling difference, use of dots instead of slashes and addition of an extra word in the URL.
4) Check the Site Security
A fake site asking for login details would not have a secure access. Identifying the same is also easy. Those which have a security certificate begins with 'https:' while those without one would have 'http:' at the beginning of URL.
5) Do Not Fill In Information
Instead of filling in forms asking for detailed information, it is better to call up the bank or other related organization and confirm if they have asked for any such information.
Caught for Illegal Phishing? Read on.
The average life of a phishing site is very short. The anti phishing filters tracks the same in no time, and the criminals have keep on making new ones. The law enforcement authorities also keep a close eye on frauds these days and are constantly in hunt of catching these tricksters. If you have been caught and are facing legal action for tricking a user of his identity and using the same for purchasing something, you will most likely be required to take a theft education class as a part of the punishment. These classes are available online and come with a number of related benefits. Firstly, you can take these from the comfort of your home. All you need is an Internet connection. In addition, they contain the latest rehabilitation related information and cost a lot less as well.
