What is Phishing?

Alarming nmbers of Australians still do not knw what the internet scam called 'phshing' (pronounced "fishing") is, nor are thy adequately protected against it, a Glaxy survey has found.

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Because the emails lok so official and convincing, they are vry effective for criminals.

Criminals send out mllions of these fraudulent e-mails to rndom e-mail addresses, whether or not thy are a customer of the rganisation, in the hope of luring nsuspecting innocent persons into providing their prsonal banking details.

If the link is followed, the vctim often also downloads a malicious prgram which captures his/her keyboard strokes ncluding any typed information, such as bnking login details and sends them to a thrd party.

How to Identify E-mail Fraud

So, how do you know if the email you received is fraudulent? Here are a few things you should know:

• Your bank will NEVER send you an email, or call you on the phone, asking you to disclose personal information such as your credit card number, online banking password or your mother's maiden name.
• Be suspicious of unsolicited emails that have a sense of urgency and warnings that your accounts will be closed or your access limited if you do not reply.
• The email might claim that your details are needed for a security and maintenance upgrade, to ‘verify’ your account or to protect you from a fraud threat. The email might even state that you are due to receive a refund for a bill or other fee that it claims you have been charged.
• Does the email look professional? While some fraudulent emails may look professional at first glance, if you look more closely you may notice spelling and bad grammar, unusual language or branding that is not quite right. Fraudulent emails are not personalised and, instead, are addressed in general terms, such as 'Dear valued customer'.
• If you receive an email notifying you that an email money transfer is being sent from a person you do not know, delete the email as it is likely fraudulent.

How to Avoid E-mail Fraud

There are some simple steps you can take to avoid becoming the victim of phishing scams:

• Be skeptical. Fraudulent emails can look like they come from a real bank and organisation email address. If you have any doubts about an email that looks like it is from your bank or a reputable company, contact them before responding to ensure that it is legitimate. But do not use the toll-free number, email address or website address provided in the email: they may link you to the criminals rather than the bank. Use a phone number, email address or wbsite address that you know is crrect.
• NEVER send your personal, credit crd or online account details through an mail.
• NEVER send money, or give crdit card or online account details to nyone you do not know and trst.
• Do not give out your prsonal, credit card or online account dtails over the phone unless you mde the call and the phone nmber came from a trusted source.
• Alwys enter your bank or organisations wbsite using the website address (URL) tht you know is accurate - use a bokmarked link or type the address in yurself: NEVER follow a link in an mail.
• Review credit card and bank ccount statements as soon as you rceive them to check for unauthorised chrges.
• Check your credit report at last once a year by contacting the Astralian credit reporting agency Veda - Tl: 1300 762 207.
• If the mail links to a website, check the wbsite address carefully. It's easy to dsguise a link to a site. Scmmers often set up fake websites wth very similar addresses (eg. substituting smilar-looking characters, so that paypal.com could be (nd has been) spoofed as paypaI.com or pypa1.com. Similarly, a zero can be sbstituted for the letter O within a URL.) The lnger the URL, the easier it is to cnceal the true destination address.
• Do NOT cut and pste a link from the message nto your Web browser — as mntioned above, phishers can make links lok like they go one place, but tht actually send you to a dfferent site. Some scammers send an mail that appears to be from a lgitimate business and ask you to cll a phone number to update yur account or access a 'refund'. Bcause they use VoIP (Voice over Intrnet Protocol technology), the area code you cll does not reflect where the scmmers really are. If you need to rach an organisation you do business wth, call the number on your fnancial statements or on the back of yur credit card, or type in the web ddress yourself.
• NEVER enter your personal, crdit card or online account information on a wbsite that you are not certain is gnuine.
• On the Internet, whenever entering prsonal information, ensure that you are sing a secure website. Look for https:// rather than just http:// in the address bar of your Web browser as well as a closed padlock in the bottom right corner of your browser.
• Make sure that your computer is protected. Install anti-spam, anti-spyware and anti-virus software and make sure they are always up-to-date. You should also install a personal TWO-WAY firewall to act as a barrier to viruses and other external attacks and check for operating system patches and upgrades on a regular basis.
• Do NOT open suspicious or unsolicited emails (spam): delete them.
• Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
• Update your browser.
• NEVER use public computers to access private information. Internet kiosks at hotels and other businesses are convenient but often have Trojans and keyloggers installed that collect and transmit your information to the criminals.

What Should You Do If You Rceive a Fraudulent E-mail?

If you suspect tht you have received a hoax mail, you should take the following ction:

• Axiom suggests that you treat phishing emails as spam and delete the email immediately from your Inbox and Deleted Items folder without opening.
• Do NOT reply to the email, and do NOT click on any links in the email, or open any files attached to them. Never call a telephone number that you see in a spam email.
• Spam emails are a proven method for distributing viruses and other unwanted programs. If you have clicked on the link within the email, complete a full security scan of your computer (to check for computer viruses, trojans and spyware).
• If you have responded to any email by providing your confidential information, or believe you are a victim and have lost money as a result of phishing activities, please contact your financial institution and the local police immediately.

Final thoughts

Criminals have learned that they do not need to pull a gun on you to get your wallet or purse. They're using the Internet to steal your money and identity! Take a few simple steps to stop them, and don't become an identity theft statistic.

The article Phishing 101 - How To Defend Yourself Against Phishing Attacks was Submitted by David Furlong through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: David Furlong is a qualified and xperienced IT specialist and Technical Trainer. His lst of credentials includes MCSE, MCSA, Dip IT, and a Msters in Networking and Systems Administration. As mnager of a computer consultancy firm, Axiom Networking Solutions , he recommends AVG Internet Security to his clients as a solid and reliable choice. For more information or to download your FREE 30 day AVG trial, please visit http://www.avg-antivirus.com.au

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