Technology can bring about many wonders such as the Internet. It can also bring unpleasant situations such as scams. Nowadays, one of the most popular scams on the Internet is Phishing scams.
What Are They?
Phishing, which is pronounced as "fishing", is a method that scammers use to obtain important information from different people. They use various tactics such as, e-mailing, brand hijacking, and various scare tactics to catch uninformed Web surfers off guard and take their private information. Generally, they operate through sending a lot of spam e-mails to a very long list of recipients. These messages are all made to look like it came from a very trustworthy company, like eBay or even big banking institutions.
These e-mails appeal to its readers emotions. It would usually discuss a problem that has to be fixed as soon as possible. They use urgent, professional language, to request personal information. The mail could even direct you to a fraud web page in which you will be requested to input the data they want from you.
Although the site you visit will seem to be authentic, they are not. They will get your information, such as bank account numbers, passwords and hack into these. They can even have a spyware installed to your computer system to get the information that they desire.
Due to the increase of Phishing scams, you should protect yourself from it. Here are some of the precautions that you can take to avoid them.
Know The Latest!
One way of avoiding scams like this is by being informed about spoofed Web sites and spam e-mails. If you’re equipped with the right knowledge on what you should look out for, then you could recognize the key factors to be found in fraudulent e-mails. In doing so, you’d have the ability to keep your identity safe as it can be.
For example, spam e-mails could contain a company logo so that will appear official, but there are still some details that can give it away such as spelling mistakes and weird sounding language. However, the best sign will be the request itself. This is because legitimate companies will never ask you to verify or send your bank account details through e-mail.
If you really want to be sure that everything is all right with your account, then you could simply go to the company’s Web site and directly log in to see if things are good. In doing this, you should directly type on your browser the address of the site and not click any of the links given in the e-mail message. You can call the company and confirm the identity of the sender and the requests validity.
Don’t Be Scared
You should avoid having panic attacks if you receive emails like these. Don’t be scared and don’t feel that you urgently need to answer their request. They usually use scare tactics to get private information especially if you are unsuspecting. Most of the time, their email message would say that your account will be shut down if you don’t give them the data that they need. You should realize that no real organization would conduct business in this manner. Once more, call your company and validate if the message is for real or not.
One Of The Masses
Getting a generic email can be an indicator of a scam. This is because scammers usually send out these mails to a long list of people, the emails aren’t personalized. If an email is to be authentic, it should have your name on it.
Don’t Click And Send!
For your safety, you shouldn’t click on links that are embedded in the suspicious e-mail message you received. Make sure that you visit Web sites directly by typing it on your Web browser. This insures that the site you are visiting is legitimate.
You should never give any kind of sensitive information to an email sender by filling in a form that is attached to the e-mail. You should call the company to verify if the email is genuine and give your information via phone, so that you will know it is secure. You can also visit the site directly to give the information.
Identity Theft
Identity Theft And Steps To Avoid It
With more geniuses and computer savvy hackers lurking about on the Internet, more and more people have become victims of identity theft. Of course, as time passes these sly thinkers keep formulating even more ways to improve their mode of operation.
To reduce the risk of being a victim, here are some precautionary steps that you should take so that your identity won’t be stolen.
Credit Card Diet
First off, you should learn to reduce the number of debit and credit cards that you carry in your wallet. It is recommended that you don’t use debit cards, due to the high potential losses you could get on your checking account. Instead, you should just carry 1 or 2 credit cards in your wallet, along with your ATM card. Nevertheless, the popularity of debit cards is unquestionable. If you really want to use them take full advantage of your accounts online access feature to monitor the activity of your account. It’s important that you do this monitoring frequently. If you see any irregularity with your account, then you should report it to your bank immediately.
Be Vigilant
Additionally, you should pay very close attention whenever you use your debit or credit card in malls or restaurants. You should watch closely how your cards are swiped by the clerk or waiter. Sadly, there are dishonest employees who have been caught using small hand-held devices called skimmers that can quickly swipe your card then later on download your account number and other data to a personal computer. If ever this happens to you, the thief could use your account to shop on the internet, and create counterfeit cards.
Debit Card No-no!
If you’ll be shopping on the Internet, it would be better if you use a credit card instead of a debit card. This is because credit cards have better protection for forgery.
Good Safekeeping
You should learn to organize your documents well. Keeping a list or photocopy of your documents, debit cards, credit cards, investments, bank accounts, account numbers, receipts, expiration dates, customer service number and fraud department number is advisable. You should remember to place them in a very secure place. Refrain from placing them in your purse or wallet.
Contacting the institutions as soon as possible if your cards are lost is essential so you can report the loss of your card and ask your company to block its use. In that way the thief or whoever finds your cards won’t be able to use it. Additionally, if they are already using it, then you can stop them immediately before they cause further damage to your account.
Keep Your Data Exclusive
Another step is keeping your data exclusive. This means you should never give it out to people or companies you do not know. Important information includes your SSN, debit or credit card number and other personal info. This kind of data should never be given over the phone, through snail mail, or by the Internet unless you already have a business relationship that you can trust with the company. You should be the one who initiated the call. This is because identity thieves are known to call their victims using a fake number and story in which they say something like: "Today is your lucky day! You have just won a Sweepstakes lottery where you receive an all expense Bahamas Vacation! Please give us your SSN, credit card number along with the expiration date so that we could verify your account.
Get Your Receipts
Another important step is to take your receipts for credit or debit cards with you. Although it is tempting to simply toss them in the trash bin next to the machine, you should never do this. Additionally, if you’ll be shopping, you should place your receipts inside your wallet instead of your shopping bag.
|
