Spam Getting More Hazardous
As if
SPAM wasn’t enough of an inconvenience and nuisance, now it can
actually be a threat to your privacy. A new form of
SPAM has recently surfaced. It’s been termed “Phishing” and
is a new way to attempt to steal people’s identities. What
happens is this, you receive an email from a popular,
reputable or otherwise trustworthy website asking you for
personal information. An example might be an email from your
bank requesting account number or credit card number, when
in fact the email is really coming from someone else, a scam
artist. The scam artist’s disguise their emails to look like
they are coming from a business you would normally trust in
an effort to gain personal information from you.
What Can You Do To Protect
Yourself?
Rule number 1 and the most important
rule of all is NEVER email personal information to anyone.
Any email from any establishment requesting information
should be telephoned and the information given verbally
once you and the firm have both identified yourselves. As a
way of doing business, most reputable companies will never
request your personal information via email anyway.
Rule number 2, if you feel you’re
being “Phished”,
report the suspected abuse to the proper authorities. Who
are the proper authorities? For starters, the web site being
spoofed. For example, if you receive a “Phishing” email from
your bank, you should immediately phone your bank and
provide details of the spam.
Remember; be careful with the
information you email anyone. If you’re ever unsure, it’s
best to call first and talk to a live person.
