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Phishing is a scam in which phishers send counterfeit emails to people in hopes to obtain personal and financial information. These emails are designed to look like they are from reputable businesses even though they are not. Often the emails will warn you of a security issue or an account issue and ask you to give your name and account number along with other personal information. If you fall victim to this scam, the phishers will then try to use the information to get money.
Do not respond to any unsolicited emails especially ones asking for personal information or financial information. If you have doubts about an email, do not use a link on the email to find out more information because the website may also be designed as part of the scam. It may include false information, incorrect addresses, and incorrect phone numbers. If you want to verify that your account status is okay, call the company. However, use a phone number that you already have, find it in the phone book or type in the website address that you know is correct. Do not use any information given in the phony email.
How do you know when you are on a phishing site? It may be hard to tell if you are on a phishing website because it may look very similar to the actual website. There are a couple of things to remember. First of all, if you have any doubt that the site you are on is not a legitimate site, do not enter any personal or financial information and leave the site immediately. Second, there is a tool that can help in identifying phishing sites. On your internet explorer under “tools” there is a phishing filter that should be turned on. You also can use this tool to check a particular site to see if it has been reported as a phishing site.
How to Avoid Phishing Scams |
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