A recent whitepaper I reviewed explained that the top three subject lines for “phishing” email have to do with bank account, credit card activity or security notifications. Phishing emails look like they come from a legitimate organization, such as your bank or credit card company. This is designed to scare you and set you off-balance so that you take a rash step like clicking on the included links because you’re focused on the fear – not the quality of the message.
The problem is that the links they want you to click on to “verify your activity” or “reactivate your account” lead to fake sites where they capture your login information and then allow another party to steal your identity or compromise your bank account. I’ve warned against phishes in the past (read this Tech Tip for some tips on how to identify a phish) but thought it was time to remind you once more.
We all know that phishing email not only pretends to be from financial institutions, but that it often follows disasters or major events – think Super Bowl® ticket lotteries or Super Storm Sandy charities. Here’s something that you probably didn’t know and will help you avoid getting caught like a phish: phishing email writers purposely include spelling errors because that automatically cuts out the people that are too smart to get caught. By including spelling or grammar errors it automatically filters the group to increase the number of gullible people who will click on the link and disregard all the warning signs to give up their information. In other words, if you’re not smart enough to catch the error you’re probably going to get reeled in by the phish.
Pass this blog onto your parents and children. Remind them to examine any suspicious email carefully before responding. It’s faster to contact your bank or credit card company directly than it is to rebuild your credit line.
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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
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