No Phishing. Stay clear of scammers' nets.
November 1, 2007

The Internet provides a great opportunity for people to flourish and benefit. There are billions of people out there just waiting to be marketed to, catered to, and exploited. Yes, I said exploited. As Joseph Bessimer once said "There's a sucker born every minute", and they live on the Internet. Ok you say, wasn't that P.T. Barnum? I say, check out the Wikipedia reference, then get back to me.

But I digress. The point is, it seems that for every new technology, there grows a way for scammers and thiefs to exploit it. One such tactic is Phishing. Here's how it goes. You receive an e-mail from a Bank, Financial institution, EBay or similar organization claiming that your account has been compromised. The e-mail looks authentic so you read on. It asks you to click a link in the e-mail to validate some personal information so the institution can continue to protect your account. You may think "Great. My bank is being proactive and trying to protect me". All sound good so far?

The problem is, the e-mail is not from your bank. It's just SPAM sent from a scammer impersonating your bank. Why? They are phishing (fishing) for your private information. If you should click on the link in the e-mail, you'll most likely be taken to a web site that has no association with your bank. It will look like your bank, but it will be the scammer's web site. On the site will be a form, asking you to verify you are who you say you are by entering private information - perhaps your Name, Address, Social Security Number, account ID, password, Credit Card Number, etc. If the red flag has not gone up in your head yet, now would be a good time.

When you click "Submit", the information is transmitted to the scammer - and now you're in trouble. Your identity has just been given to a complete stranger, who's only reason for contacting you was to gain your personal information. And with that information, the scammer now has access to ... well ... whatever you just gave him access to. Including your identity.

So how do you avoid the phishing scam? How do you protect yourself?

1. Never give personal information via e-mail. If you must, make sure you are browsing to the correct web site, and that it is a Secure site (https:// ...).
2. Be cautious about any mail that requests action on your part, especially when the action may be to give away personal information.
3. Never click on a link in an e-mail. If you do, be mindful not to give away personal information.
4. If you need to visit a Web Site to do something, open your browser and browse directly to an address you know points where YOU want to go, not where some Scammer wants you to go.
5. Keep your computer's protection software up to date. Some e-mail scanners now alert you to possible phishing attempts, the same way they may alert you to viruses.
6. Review your Credit Card and Banking statements for rogue entries that may indicate someone is using your card without your knowledge.
7. Get a Credit Report. Know your score. If you do this regularly, you'll be able to identify any anomalies from report to report.

If you feel your personal information has been compromised or you have been scammed in some other way ...

1. Notify your Bank or your Credit Card issuer immediately.
2. Contact your Accountant, Financial Adviser, or an Identity Theft professional to see what additional remedial steps may be required.

Don't fall into the Phishing trap. Be cautious, be aware, stay safe.

Sewell Computer
Phone: 856-218-0943 • Fax: 856-218-0944