Just a Little Fish in a big Ocean?

Even though we may see ourselves a little fish in this ocean of data and users, there are predators actively and passively seeking to collect our Personally Identifiable Information, Credit card information and more. It is important to recognize and actively avoid their snares.

Definition Phishing

• Phishing is where email or malicious websites are used to collect personal and financial information or infect your machine with malware and viruses.
  
  

 Recognizing Phishing

•  Spelling and Grammar Mistakes -  Spelling and grammar mistakes are often seen in phishing emails. Companies often take great pain in making sure that their emails and sites are professional. Cyber criminals are not known for their spelling or grammar. Having these mistakes in a site or email, may be a reason to start to question it.
• Generic Greetings - Phishing emails tend to start with generic phrases like "Dear valued customer" or your email account name, instead of your name. Most legitimate companies include your name in their correspondence because companies will have it on record (if you've dealt with them before).

• False links -  Be cautious of links. Before clinking on links, make sure you know where they will take you. Move your mouse over the link, and leave it there for a moment (without clicking) and it should display the path the link will take you. The link path may show at the bottom of the browser depending on which browser you use. 
•  Asking for Personal Information - If you receive an email requesting personal information, do not provide any information. Do not reply to the message or click any of the links in the message. Businesses have more secure methods of collecting this information. They will often have secure sections of their sites designed to give and receive information safely.
• Threats - If the email states that if you do not respond now or it is a limited time offer, this wording is designed to have you make an impulse response due to this sense of urgency. If it appears to be a company that you have business with go to them by going to their site in a new browser session and getting contact information from there or signing into your account.

 

Other Modes of Phishing

Technology continues to advance and evolve. We will seek to use these advancements to enrich our lives. Criminals will seek to use these same tools against us. Phishing can come through phone calls, text messages, and have been seen on social sites.

 

What to do with Phishing Attempts 

Report any emails to the Federal Trade Commission and other agencies as described on this link. Reporting these emails will help these agencies to fight these types of scams. If the sender is trying to pose as a actual business, let that company know.

 

Where to find out more

Here are some additional resources to learn about these crimes.

US Securities and Exchange Commission - "Phishing" Fraud
Microsoft - What is Phishing
StaySafeOnline - Spam & Phishing