Root Love // Cyberpunk NIFO

Phishing: (fish’ing) (n.)

This is when someone sends you an email falsely claiming to be a
legitimate business – like your bank or credit card company – in
an attempt to scam you into giving them your personal, private
information that they can use to access your accounts.

Phishing, also referred to as brand spoofing or carding, is a
variation on “fishing”, the idea being that bait is thrown out
with the hopes that while most will ignore the bait, some will
be tempted into biting.

It’s an online form of Identity Theft. The email then directs
you to visit a fraudulent website where you are asked to provide
maintenance or update your personal information, such as:

* Social Security Number

* Passwords or PIN numbers

* Bank Account Numbers

* ATM,Debit, or Credit Card Numbers

* Credit Card Validation Codes

* Your Phone Number and Address

Learn How To Identify It

Phishing is so dangerous because the average email user does not
know how to identify a fraudulent email.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Legitimate businesses do not ask you for your personal
information by email.

Sometimes it may be necessary to update your information, but
most businesses will alert you to this when you sign in to your
account through the business’s website. So – just as you
wouldn’t provide personal information to telemarketers and
people you don’t know – you shouldn’t provide it to anyone
asking you for that in any email.

2. Fake email messages are often not personalized.

When your bank, credit card company, loan company, etc. sends
you an email it is usually personalized. It’s only common
courtesy to use your name. So this would also be an indication
that the email is a spoof.

3. A link in the email is masked.

This is the part that confuses most people. “Masking” a link is
simply asking you to click on a link that directs you somewhere
else than what you thought you were clicking on.

A simple way you can catch this is by moving your cursor over
the link and looking at the bottom of your browser on the status
bar. This will show you the actual website the link is going to
take you to.

4. The “lock” in the status bar is not engaged.

You need to make sure that the lock in the status bar is
locked. This ensures you that the page you are on is secure. If
it doesn’t have the lock, then any personal information that you
put on there could be compromised.

Here Are Three Things To Keep In Mind

1. Never reply to email messages that request your personal
info. 2. Never click on suspicious links. Move your cursor over
the link to see where it is directing you. 3. Make sure the site
is secure. Check the lock on the status bar.

Article Provided By: Identity Theft Prevention Guide 10 Million
Victims in the last 5 years. Don’t Be The Next ONE. Minimize
Your Exposure…Learn How. Visit:

http://Identity-Theft-Prevention-Guide.co