The term comes from techies who like to replace the letter ‘f’ with ‘ph.’ So, the term applies to scamsters who are ‘phishing’ for your private information, to steal your credit card or bank info — or worse, your identity.
(Note: spelling errors are in actual emails.)
Subject: YOUR ONLINE BANKING ACCOUNT Dear Online Banking Consumer,
This email was sent by your Online Banking center to verify your e-mail address. You must complete this process by entering required iformation like your Online Banking login and password. This is done for your protection — becaurse some of our members no longer have access to their email addresses and we must verify it. Please, complete the following information:
Bank Routing/ABA Number (9 digits):
First 6 digits of your Banking Card:
Online Banking Login ID (CIN or CAN):
Your Online Banking Password (or PIN):
A phishing scam is an identity theft scam that arrives via email. The email appears to come from a legitimate source such as a trusted business or financial institution, and includes an urgent request for personal information usually invoking some critical need to update an account immediately. Clicking on a link provided in the email leads to an official-looking website. Personal information provided to this site, however, goes directly to the scam artist.
Fraud is a growing problem on the internet as people are tricked into providing personal information including credit card numbers, passwords, Mother’s maiden name, bank account numbers, ATM pass codes and social security numbers. Virus protectors and firewalls do not catch most phishing scams because they do not contain suspect code, while spam filters let them pass because they appear to come from legitimate sources.
Companies that have been spoofed by phishing scams include: Microsoft Corp., MSN, eBay, Amazon.com, PayPal, AOL, Comcast, CitiBank, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, Washington Mutual, and many more.
The best way to protect yourself from phishing scams is to avoid supplying personal information to an email request. If you believe the request might be legitimate, call the company’s customer service department to verify this before providing any information, but do not use phone numbers contained in the email (if any are included).
Action: Never, ever, ever respond to emails that ask for personal info.
Always use common sense.
To read the full article, click here.
For more information on viruses, hoaxes, and scams online, visit www.scambusters.com.