Phishing is method that criminals use to steal you identity online. It uses email and fraudulent websites that are designed to steal your personal data or information such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information.
Phishing send millions of fraudulent email messages with links to fraudulent websites that appear to come from websites you trust, like your bank or credit card company, and request that you provide personal information. Criminals can use this information for many different types of fraud, such as to steal money from your account, to open new accounts in your name, or to obtain official documents using your identity.
Prevent ID theft from phishing scams do the following to help protect yourself from phishing scams:
- Don’t click links in email messages.
- Type addresses directly into your browser or use your personal bookmarks.
- Check the site’s security certificate before you enter personal or financial information into a website.
- Don’t enter personal or financial information into pop-up windows.
- Keep your computer software current with the latest security updates.
If you suspect that you’ve responded to a phishing scam with personal or financial information, do the following;
- Change the passwords or PINs on all your online accounts that you think could be compromised.
- Place a fraud alert on your credit reports. Check with your bank or financial advisor if you’re not sure how to do this.
- Contact the bank or the online merchant directly. Do not follow the link in the fraudulent email.
- If you know of any accounts that were accessed or opened fraudulently, close those accounts.
- Routinely review your bank and credit card statements monthly for unexplained charges or inquiries that you didn’t initiate.
How do I report a possible phishing scam?
- Internet Explorer. While you are on a suspicious site, click the Safety button or menu in Internet Explorer 8 and point to SmartScreen Filter. Then click Report Unsafe Website and use the webpage that is displayed to report the website.
- Windows Live Hotmail. If you receive a suspicious email that asks for personal information, click the check box next to the message in your Hotmail inbox. Click Mark as and then point to Phishing scam.
- Microsoft Office Outlook. Attach the suspicious email message to a new email message and forward it to reportphishing@antiphishing.org. To learn how to attach an email message to an email message, see Attach a file or other item to an email message. You can also download the Microsoft Junk E-mail Reporting Add-in for Microsoft Office Outlook.
The Bottom Line THINK if you not sure do not respond even better do not open the email….