FTC Consumer Alert
How Not to Get Hooked by a
‘Phishing’ Scam
Internet scammers
casting about for people’s financial information have a new way to lure
unsuspecting victims: They go “phishing.”
Phishing is a high-tech
scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your
credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number,
passwords, or other sensitive information.
According to the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or pop-up message that
claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with – for example,
your Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a
government agency. The message usually says that you need to “update” or
“validate” your account information. It might threaten some dire consequence if
you don’t respond. The message directs you to a Web site that looks just like a
legitimate organization’s site, but it isn’t. The purpose of the bogus site? To
trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal
your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
The FTC, the nation’s
consumer protection agency, suggests these tips to help you avoid getting hooked
by a phishing scam:
·
If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial
information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate
companies don’t ask for this information via email. If you are concerned about
your account, contact the organization in the email using a telephone number you
know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the
company’s correct Web address. In any case, don’t cut and paste the link in the
message.
·
Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure
method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and
want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s
Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the
browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands
for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have
forged security icons.
·
Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive
them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If your statement
is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to
confirm your billing address and account balances.
·
Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Some phishing emails
contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the
Internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect
you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. Anti-virus software scans
incoming communications for troublesome files. Look for anti-virus software that
recognizes current viruses as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse
the damage; and that updates automatically.
A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and
blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It’s especially important
to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Finally, your operating
system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software “patches” to close holes
in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.
·
Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from
emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
Report suspicious activity to the FTC. If you get spam that is phishing for
information, forward it to
spam@uce.gov. If
you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at
www.ftc.gov, and
then visit the FTC’s Identity Theft Web site at
www.consumer.gov/idtheft
to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from ID theft. Visit
www.ftc.gov/spam
to learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam.
The FTC
works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business
practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot,
stop, and avoid them. To file a
complaint or to
get
free information on consumer
issues, visit
www.ftc.gov or
call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC
enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related
complaints into
Consumer Sentinel,
a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law
enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
June 2004
