What is Phishing and how can I avoid them?
Phishing is a method that fraudsters use to trick victims into disclosing confidential information such as bank account details, creditcard numbers, email account username and passwords. The means vary but generally the favored method is via an email asking the victim that they are required to urgently update their, for example, bank records or risk having their account closed. The email contains a disguised link which on the surface seems legitimate but instead directs the victim to a fraudulent website. The website is designed to look and feel like the banks website together with the company logo’s and colors to trick the unsuspecting victim into disclosing whatever the details it requests – in this case for example bank details and credit card numbers.
So how can I avoid them? Well, the short answer is that you can’t, but most operating systems and internet browsers now contain methods to warn potential victims of the risk when visiting that site. Some examples below:
Internet Explorer's warning when trying to visit a Phishing website.
Google's Chrome warning when trying to visit a Phishing website.
Even though there are safety features built into the modern Internet browser, the fact of the matter is that there are 1000′s of new Phishing scams created EVERY day, so the likelihood of a new scam being missed is highly probable.
So is this is losing battle? No, of course not, as long as you are aware of the warning signs. The general rule of thumb is that the modern bank should NEVER send you an email requesting that you update your profile. But, if you are sent an email it should ask you to visit the banks website by entering the web address (URL) into the browser directly, instead of clicking on a link. In fact, that is the BEST and the MOST RELIABLE method to safe guard against Phishing websites, never click on a link in the email, always enter the company’s URL directly.
Phishing emails are here to stay, hopefully over time people are educated enough of the warning signs and risks so that the time spent by the fraudsters is not profitable. But for now, be careful of any email sent to your inbox requesting you to update ANY details. This is not only limited to banks, but also email accounts, Facebook profiles – etc.
3 Responses to “What is Phishing and how can I avoid them?”
Thanks good article
[Reply]
Admin Jay Reply:
May 17th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
No problems – glad you liked it
[Reply]
Thankyou. Nice and clear article
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