| "You never can be too sure," at least that's what my | | | | and probably will be used for identity theft. So, be |
| anti-Internet Shopping friends tell me. Maybe they are | | | | weary of online solicitations of account information. |
| right, but the Internet is too convenient and powerful to | | | | Most, if not 100% of banks and credit card providers |
| not take advantage of. So, as long as you are online, | | | | have a strict policy to never solicit personal account |
| you ought to keep a few things in mind - after all they | | | | information online. |
| could be correct. | | | | How to Respond to Phishing |
| Phishing Scams - What to Watch For | | | | The Federal Trade Commission began prosecuting |
| The biggest credit fraud problem on the Internet today | | | | phishing crimes in 2004, with mixed success. If you |
| doesn't have to do with consumer purchases, it has to | | | | become a victim of phishing you should contact them, |
| do with a phenomenon known as "phishing." Phishing is | | | | your local police, or the FBI immediately. Also, it goes |
| a criminal activity in which scamsters attempt to | | | | without saying that you should close any account that |
| acquire personal or credit card information. Although | | | | may be tampered with, and contact your credit |
| phishing originated in the 1990s as a way to gain illegal | | | | providers immediately. Finally, make sure to contact the |
| access to America OnLine, it has progressed into one | | | | three major credit reporting bureaus to have a fraud |
| of the fastest and most adaptive credit card crimes in | | | | alert posted on your credit report. |
| America. | | | | In 2005 Senator Patrick Leahy introduced the |
| The latest incarnations have attempted to target online | | | | Anti-Phishing Act of 2005. It is a bill that doles out |
| shoppers and bank patrons, as well as social | | | | severe criminal penalties to anybody convicted of |
| networking sites like MySpace or Facebook. Typically, | | | | creating fraudulent emails or websites in order to |
| a user will receive a "spoofed" email, a clever | | | | illegally gain information or financial reward. Phishing is |
| production made to imitate a bank, merchant or credit | | | | now a federal crime, and the Secret Service and FBI |
| card company. The email will contain general | | | | are more aggressively pursuing it. |
| information, and typically requests some sort of | | | | The basic and obvious steps to prevent yourself from |
| verification of account information, or request for | | | | becoming a victim of phishing is to not respond to |
| personal data. Phishers have even gone so far as to | | | | email or Internet solicitations for your personal account |
| imitate the IRS and capture sensitive tax data. Instant | | | | information. In fact, as your browser can be |
| messenger and the telephone have been used to a | | | | manipulated by Javascript, you ought not even open |
| lesser extent. | | | | unsolicited mail or junk mail. The best possible tip you |
| Some common tactics that Phishers use are mimicking | | | | can follow is that if you see a request from a creditor |
| URLs to banks or credit providers that you use. For | | | | or bank you do business with, you should contact them |
| example, a website could be set up that asks you to | | | | by phone or in person to discuss the online solicitation. |
| verify your account number and billing address. It could | | | | Verify their intentions, but do so using customer service |
| appear to be related to your bank, and show a web | | | | contact information you already have in your account |
| address of something like: Unwitting users may end up | | | | informations - that is to say, don't use the "contact" |
| simply forking over extremely account data that could, | | | | phone number from the suspicious email. |