No Phishing! How to Avoid Taking the Bait

by Anna Hahn

What is phishing??? Phishing is the use of fake e-mails and fraudulent websites to trick recipients into giving out their personal data such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, usernames and passwords for various accounts, etc. Phishers convince about 5% of recipients to respond by using the logos of large credit card companies, banks and online stores. Some of the recent scams use the names of Citibank, Suntrust, and EBay. Once they have your information, they can completely drain your accounts.

Here are some ways to avoid becoming a phishing scam victim:

• Don’t trust emails containing urgent requests for personal financial information. The phishers will generally tell you something is very urgent (for example, your account will be closed if you don’t respond within 24 hours) to try to trick you into responding.
• Legitimate credit card companies, banks and online retailers will NOT ask for personal financial information via email. You should only give this type of information via phone or over a secure website (the web address should start with “https” instead of “http”) when YOU have initiated the exchange of information.
• Don’t click on the links provided in suspected phishing emails. They will direct you to a fraudulent website.
• Check your bank and credit card statements carefully each month to be sure all the transactions are legitimately yours. If you see anything suspicious, contact your bank or credit card company immediately.
• Be sure your web browser is up to date with security patches.

If you do receive a phishing email, report it by forwarding the entire message to:
1. the Federal Trade Commission (spam@uce.gov)
2. the company whose name was used for the phishing attempt. For example, EBay is spoof@ebay.com and SunTrust is abuse@suntrust.com

You can also notify the Internet Fraud Complaint Center of the FBI via their website at www.ifccfbi.gov.