The Woman Warriors

Posts Tagged ‘scams’

Who has not received an e-mail directing them to visit a familiar site where they’re being asked to update their private information? The site wishes you to verify or update your passwords, credit card numbers, SSID number, or maybe your bank account number. You recognize the firm name as one that you have conducted business with during the past. Often corporations, such as the one behind News Daily 7, are even capable of spoofing the domain name server records of famous firms in ways that are tricky to perceive. Hence you click the convenient ‘take me there” link and go on to provide all of the information they have requested. Unfortunately, you find out much later that the site is bogus. It was created with the only intent to steal your private information. You, my mate, have just been “phished”.

Phishing (which is correctly pronounced as “fishing”) is understood to be the act of sending amail to a receiver falsely claiming to have a longtime, legit business. The intent of the phisher is to scam the receiver into surrendering their non-public information, and eventually pinch your identity.

It isn’t at simple as you think to spot a mail phishing for information. At first sight, the email may look like it is from a valid company. The “From” field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company discussed in the e-mail. The clickable link even seems to take you to the corporation’s internet site, when in reality it is a fake site built to copy the legitimate site.

Many of those folks are professional criminals. They have spent plenty of time in making e-mails that look authentic. Users need to study all e-mails requesting personal information conscientiously. When reviewing your e-mail remember that the “From Field” can be simply changed by the sender. Although it may look like it is coming from a .com you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Also keep in mind the phisher will go all out in attempting to make their e-mail look as bonafide as practicable. They will even copy trademarks or images from the official site to be used in their e-mails. Eventually, they like to include a clickable link the receiver can follow to handily update their information. A good way to check the legality of the link is to point at the link with your mouse. Then, look in the bottom left hand screen of your personal computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. It is a very quick and simple way to check if you’re being directed to a legitimate site.

In the end you need to follow the golden rule. Never, ever, push the links within the text of the email, and always remove the email instantly. Once you have removed the email, empty the trash box in your email accounts also. If you’re actually concerned you are missing a crucial notice relating to one of your accounts, then type the full URL address of the site into your browser. At least then you may be confident that you’re, actually being directed to the true and legitimized website.