Learning to Recognize Phishing Scams

Computers & TechnologyInternet

  • Author Mindy Matter
  • Published January 28, 2011
  • Word count 420

On any day that you check your email it’s almost guaranteed that there will be three to four phishing emails on the list. Learning to recognize them and reporting them is detrimental to someday putting a stop to it.

The phishing scams that are prevalent today generally do not come from the United States, which makes it difficult to pursue them. It’s up to email users to learn how to prevent their scams. They prey on the hope of people who they think are vulnerable.

Skimming ten dollars from someone’s bank account doesn’t sound like much but if the bank account owner only had eleven dollars for food then ten dollars is a lot.

The most important thing to remember when you receive an email that at first looks legitimate is to never click on any link in the email. Go to the website of the company they claim to be representing and look for a message or information pertaining to the matter that was indicated in the email. If there is none than ignore the email and report it as spam.

They not only want your account names and passwords they want you to click on the link in the email and from that they can track everything you do online. They can wipe out your bank accounts, ruin your credit and much more. They can make your life miserable and it may take years for you to recover.

If they infect your computer with a virus you may unkowingly infect ten thousand more. The spyware and malware they use will slow your system down so bad that you are unable to complete the simplest task.

No bank in the United States is going to send you an email with a clickable link in it. Pay Pal, E-bay and all the other banks and financial institutions are their means to getting to their targets. Their targets are innocent hard working people who are simply trying to make a living.

No matter how real an email looks, don’t click on any link in an email and don't open an email if you do not know the sender. One of their main tricks is to send you email that has a senders name very similar to someone in your contact list or even your own email name. Look carefully and don't fall for it. Use your spam blocker. If someone is really trying to reach you and they get blocked they will contact you another way.

By Mindy Matter for http://www.removeadware.com.au - Here you'll learn more about Phishing Scams http://www.removeadware.com.au/articles/phishing-scams/

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