As you are probably well aware, phishing scams are everywhere. I believe these are by far the most dangerous “computer” threat out there as their sole purpose is to steal important info (i.e. bank logins). While security programs attempt to detect these, I am extremely skeptical about relying on these programs (as you may know, I don’t believe in anti-virus/internet security suites) as the best protection is education.
On that note here is a good test to help determine how good you are at distinguishing real emails from fake ones. Some questions are easier than others, so if you end up missing a few be sure to review the information on why.
Additionally, for those interested, I have written an article on this site which really gets down to the nuts and bolts of some fake emails in an eBay scam I was the target of.
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I don’t assume that any emails I receive asking for information are legitimate. I don’t know enough to tell the difference between the real ones and the fakes. The only time I will give out information over the internet is when I go to them…such as Newegg.com or Amazon.com. If I receive a request for information from someone entity that I do business with, I will pick up the phone and use the same number that I have always used, and call them to ask them if the email I received is genuine. As for strangers who call me up and want something, I tell them to mail it to me via USPS. If something is sent fraudulently in the mail it is a felony and the postmaster will go after them….so it really discourages crooks to us the US mail.
I think the bottom line here is NEVER give out personal information being requested from an email, or a phone call for that matter.
You have correctly pointed out the most important KEY. Do no send anything to anyone asking for it unless you have logged into a known site. E-Bay is a good example. I receive one or two requests for information from E-Bay sites that are copies of the real thing. When I go to E-bay there is no such message to me. The phishing site will take your correct password and id and link you to the main e-bay page. Meanwhile they now have your information is will use it to change your password for their own purposes. This is true for many attempts to get your informtion. They do not discriminate as seen by the fact that I am asked to correct my bank information at banks in England, Canada and eslewhere where I have not accounts.
So the rule is DONT or JUST Say NO. These are smart sites so it is best to just delete them when they show up.
Ditto. I missed one of the phishing emails in the quiz. I always assume that I could miss something, so I call the supposed sender or go to their web site of without using any link or phone number from the email.
Thanks jason.
that’s really important article I think.