What is phishing?
Phishing is the action of assuming the identity of a legitimate organization or website, using forged email or web pages to convince consumer to share their personal information. The purpose is to commit fraud and also referred to as identity theft. The message or web page generated by phishers may look so official and authentic, resulting up to 20% of unsuspecting recipients respond to them.
The legitimate businesses that might be used are banks such as Citibank, online organizations such as eBay, PayPal, and EarthLink, internet service provider such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo.
The legitimate businesses that might be used are banks such as Citibank, online organizations such as eBay, PayPal, and EarthLink, internet service provider such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo.
How does it works?
Here is a prime example of how phishing works. On 17 November 2003, many eBay customers received email notified that their accounts had been compromised and were being restricted. After clicking the hyperlink provided in the email, a web page which just looked like the same as eBay’s home page appeared. To re-register, the customer were told to provide credit card data, ATM personal identification numbers, Social Security number, date of birth and their mother’s maiden name. However, the problems was eBay did not send the email and the webpage did not belong to eBay.
Here is a prime example of how phishing works. On 17 November 2003, many eBay customers received email notified that their accounts had been compromised and were being restricted. After clicking the hyperlink provided in the email, a web page which just looked like the same as eBay’s home page appeared. To re-register, the customer were told to provide credit card data, ATM personal identification numbers, Social Security number, date of birth and their mother’s maiden name. However, the problems was eBay did not send the email and the webpage did not belong to eBay.
How to prevent it?
Treat all email with suspicion, the email body, sender’s address, return address, email header can be forged. Can call the organization and ask if it is legitimate or check its legitimate website. (See difference between spoof and genuine email).
Treat all email with suspicion, the email body, sender’s address, return address, email header can be forged. Can call the organization and ask if it is legitimate or check its legitimate website. (See difference between spoof and genuine email).
Never use a link in email to get to any web page, type the URL directly to the browser’s address bar. Never send personal or financial information to anyone through e-mail. Regularly log into online account, do not leave it for more than a month.
Do not use same password for more than one site and use reputable firewall and anti-virus software. Ensure that all computer software is up to date.
If receives email refers to a web site, look carefully at the URL, beware of the @symbol and long URL which people usually not beware of. For example,
http://jd778823985225howf8shfMHHIUBd889yK@MIllerSMILes.Co.Uk">www.ebay.comSECURITYCHECKw8grHGAkdj>jd778823985225howf8shfMHHIUBd889yK@MIllerSMILes.Co.Uk
If you found out that you have been a victim of email phishing, call your credit card company, call your bank, change password, contact website involved, and make a report to the police and report to anti-phishing authority.
With the incresing cases of phishing over the past few years, we should always be careful and keep ourselves away from any potential lure and prevent ourselves from becoming the prey one days. Hope you all be good, be careful and be aware.
To get more information about phishing, please have a visit at http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/identitytheft/gonephishing.
1 comments:
there are always new ways to fish victims, but if we always beware of it and keep updating of new phishing tactics,it can be prevented..
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