
TELL-TALE SIGNS OF PHISHING SCAMS
Security researchers note that the spammed email from phishers nearly always begin with a generic way to address you,Instead of addressing you by your name.Eg:
<<
Dear Online Service User:
Dear Bank Customer:
Dear Credit Card Account Holder:
Dear Personal Club Member:
Greetings!
Welcome!
Warning!
Security Alert!
>>
Almost always,they ask you to verify or confirm your account.Experts say that legitimate companies will never ask you to verify the following information online:
- Pin Numbers
- Passwords
- User Names
- Bank Account Numbers
- Credit Card Numbers
Some times ,these criminals provide legitimate links but hijack you to land on a different site from where you thought were going .So don't forget to look at the URL of your final destination to make sure it's that of your service provider .Check whether the site you reached has a privacy policy ,uses https protocol and has the lock icon of the secure sockets layer (SSL).
Sometimes the criminals manage to include the names of the legitimate service providers as a sub-domain within their site. Again look at the URL carefully to find out where you are going .Many browsers have built - in phishing and malware protection facility .In Internet Explorer ,it is called Smart Screen Filter,and in Chrome browser it is called Phishing and Malware Protection.Make sure these are turned on by checking the settings .
e.o.m