Don't Fall Victim To Phishing Identity Thieves
| | Monday, November 15, 2004 @ 03:50 PM EST
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Consumers should be on the alert for official-looking e-mails that are actually spam mail sent by sophisticated identify thieves trying to trick you out of personal information that can be used to drain your bank account, fraudulently get credit cards and commit other crimes.
One scam reported by California consumers involves a purported warning from CitiBank to customers: "In order to safeguard your account, we require you to sign on immediately … This process is mandatory, and if you did not sign on within the nearest time your account may be subject to temporary suspension." The hyperlink takes you to a web site featuring the CitiBank logo, which asks you to enter your bank account number, Social Security number and mother's maiden name on the form provided.
Don't fall for this scam.
Don't click on the link contained in the suspicious e-mail. By clicking on the link, you could be opening your computer to viruses or
hidden installation of "key logging" devices that can record everything you type, including user passwords and account information, and have the data sent automatically to the identity thief or be harvested later.
Instead, contact the business by telephone or reach the company's genuine web site by typing in the company's URL address into your browser. These scams often are difficult to detect because they can come from anywhere in the world and shut down quickly. Report suspected cases at www.ifccfbi.gov, the federal Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
The scam is commonly called "brand spoofing" or "phishing" because the spam mail sent uses familiar or legitimate-sounding names of companies to trick consumers into disclosing confidential personal information. The e-mail may use all or part of a legitimate company's name, and the hyperlink may closely resemble its web site.
Small and large companies have been spoofed, such as Bank of America, Best Buy, PayPal and First Union Bank. In an Earthlink.net spoof, the spam mail used an URL like www.earthlinkservice.com. According to security experts, these types of computer attacks are on the rise because scammers are taking up the tactics, tools and techniques of virus writers and spammers .
Here are some basic rules to follow to avoid falling victim to this scam:
When in doubt, throw the e-mail out.
Never give out personal information by e-mail.
Don't trust e-mail headers. They can be faked.
Never fill out a form in an e-mail message. You never know who will get it.
Never trust the link in an e-mail message. Scam artists are getting sophisticated and are able to have their web site mirror a legitimate business web site.
Don't trust e-mail messages on the status of your account. Always go directly to a company's web site to access your account information.
Don't respond to messages that come with an embedded link and a sense of urgency about your account being closed, temporarily suspended or fee being charged if you don't respond.
By---The California Attorney General's Office
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