Phishing scams
In a phishing scam you receive an email that looks like it comes from your bank (or airline, stockbroker etc). This email announces that the business has improved its security measures and all you need to do is click on the link provided to update your details. The link takes you to what looks like the familiar site of that business and there you are asked to enter details like your name, account number, password etc.
Some phishing scams have taken a new turn by offering cybersafety information to potential victims of the dangers of phishing scams! Some even offer general tips about malware (trojans etc) and provide information to 'clients' about their updated security measures with the goal of getting people to enter their account details in a spoofed website. This is classic 'social engineering', designed to trick people by playing on the assumption many would make that a phishing scam would never warn potential victims of the dangers of phishing scams. However, as with many other online scams, you can protect yourself by following the guide to safe online transactions below.
Remember, all phishing emails are frauds - made to look like an email from a company with a large customer base. Thus a random spam email (online junk mail) will hit a percentage of people that are indeed customers of the business named. The link actually takes people to a 'spoofed' website - one made to look like the legitimate one. Once the details are typed in and the fraud concluded, these schemes can actually then link the scam victim to the real company site.
You can check the website address used in the email against an address on written material you have received previously from that company, such as an account statement. Look out for variations in the name or in the country code in the URL (website address). For example, does the legitimate address end in '.com', '.nz' or '.au'? Even when the link appears to be correct it can still divert you to a fraudulent website. However, you can easily protect yourself by only typing in a URL yourself when you want to engage in a secure transaction online and never following a link from an email to a site where you want to engage in a secure transaction (one with account details, credit card numbers etc).
Click here to read about a new page in our Young Adults section on a social networking scam that we've recently heard about, including some tips on ensuring you don't fall prey to it.
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