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Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
Filed Under: Security
Phishers are criminals who are out to steal your identity for fun and profit. And if you go online at all, you’ve probably received phishing emails designed to get you to give up some vital information that could compromise your security. This is called phishing and spoofing and it’s all over the Internet. But if you know what to watch out for, you can protect yourself.
Phishing Techniques
The most common phishing technique is an email sent to you from some organization that you do have an account with. eBay, Yahoo, Google, MSN, common national banks like ING, credit card companies, ISPs and other companies are often named in the email. You might receive a mail that appears to be from one of these companies that says your account information needs to be updated, or that your most recent payment hasn’t gone through. Some even say that your account has been suspended or that it’s about to be suspended.
The emails will ask for you to click a link that takes you to a web page where you can enter the correct information to set things right again. And because the email looks legitimate, many people will do this. But you should realize that companies have policies against asking for passwords and some other information. And an email to inform you of a legitimate account problem would include your name and other specific information.
Even if the email does appear legitimate, there are other warning signs. The link will take you to a webpage that may look like a page at that company’s website. Mouse over the link first and look at the bar at the bottom of your browser, so you can avoid clicking it as sometimes these landing pages contain viruses that can get into your system.
Look at the URL closely, and you’ll see that it’s not legitimate. If the URL is difficult to decipher, you can use free software that will take the URL and give you the IP, so you can be sure. If you suspect the email might be legitimate, contact the company in question directly and ask.
Also, look for poorly written email messages. If ING is sending you an email asking for account information, for instance, and it’s written with misspelled words and bad grammar, you know it’s not legitimate.
If you use Outlook, you have a Junk Email folder already in place. Always check the contents of this folder before you delete, because legitimate emails will often be triggered by a word like “free” or even curse words. So pull out the good emails and ditch the rest to avoid most phishing scams.
Protect Yourself with a HOSTS File
Download a HOSTS file from a site like www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm to further protect yourself. The file and instructions are on the site so you can set up the file and protect your system. The HOSTS file lists the IPs of known phishing, hacking and malware offenders to keep your computer from communicating with theirs.
Watch for unexpected emails that talk about payment problems and account suspensions, and any other type of problem that requires your account and payment information. By taking a close look at each one, and making sure you have an up-to-date HOSTS file in place, you can protect yourself against phishing scams.
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