If it smells ‘phishy’, it probably is!

During the school holidays I was surprised by the number of people I spoke to who commented that they had received a larger than normal number of phishing emails in their inbox.  But it was a conversation I had with an uncle of mine about a “funny” experience he had had while selling a car via an online advertisement that got me thinking.  He received an email from a respondent who had replied via email saying that they were very interested in buying his boat (not the car he has advertised) and could he please click on the link provided to get in contact with a broker they had appointed to negotiate on their behalf!  He thought to himself, “this smells a little ‘phishy’”!

So over the past couple of weeks I’ve been monitoring what I receive in my email inbox.  I have to say that I’ve been astounded by the number of phishing scam emails I’ve received.  In the course of any given day I normally check my inbox a couple of times, respond to my emails and delete any spam that has made its way through. I’ve been tracking those emails which ask for personal information or request that I click on a link provided. What I learnt is that I could have been very wealthy, if only the emails were true!

 In total I received 15 phishing emails ranging from:

• Attorney’s seeking to track down a long lost relative to claim a substantial inheritance
• A regional branch manager from a bank in Ghana looking for the owner of an unallocated deposit made to his branch
• Several lotteries saying I have won a prize  
• Another bank in Japan

So what exactly is ‘phishing’?   Phishing is a particularly devious form of internet scam. Customers of banks and financial institutions are often prime targets for ‘phishers’ who trick them into divulging sensitive personal information such as their credit card account numbers and personal identification numbers (PINs), by making bogus offers using spoof e-mails and fake web sites. The technique is also used to steal identities.

One of the reasons phishing is so successful is that the e-mails link the victim to official-looking web sites where the attackers use images, logos, and text taken from genuine companies’ sites to make the bogus offer appear legitimate.

So after conducting my own little experiment I wasn’t surprised when last week the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released a report into scam activity during 2009.   The ACCC reported that Australian’s lost almost $70 million in 2009 through scams like those I’ve listed above.  According to the ACCC’s deputy chair, Peter Kell, more than 20,000 scams were reported to the regulatory board last year, but the figure could be much higher. 

So how can you protect yourself and make sure you aren’t a victim of a phishing scam?

Here’s a couple of tips to keep your identify safe:

Tip 1: If it looks too good to be true it probably is.

Tip 2: Never open or click on an email if you don’t know the sender.

Tip 3: Never directly respond to emails asking for your personal information. 

Tip 4: Make strong passwords for banking and financial sites by using letters, symbols and numbers.

Tip 5: Use spam detectors to block malicious or fraudulent e-mails and implement good quality anti-virus, filtering, and anti-spam software solutions like McAfee Internet Security.

Another helpful tool is McAfee’s new Consumer Threat Alert program which was launched just this week. The program warns consumers about the latest and most dangerous online threats with inside intelligence from McAfee Labs. You can sign up to receive the free e-mail alerts at www.mcafee.com/consumer-threats-signup. The alerts give information about how to recognise the latest online dangers and tips on how to stay safe. The threat information is presented in easy to understand language with examples, and includes tips on how to avoid threats as well as information for people who suspect they might have become a victim.

In addition to the e-mail notification, all updates will be posted on the Consumer Threat Alerts blog (www.mcafee.com/consumer-threats-blog) and consumers can also follow McAfee on Twitter (http://twitter.com/McAfee) or visit the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mcafee) for updates, videos and tips. 

Share these tips with your family, friends, other parents and colleagues.

If you’ve had an experience like my uncle or have a question about your family’s internet safety please contact me at cybermummcafeecom  (cybermummcafeecom)    

You can also follow me on Twitter: Cybermum_Oz

Keep safe,

Moira

Tags: antivirus, fake ant, fake anti-virus software, fake software, ID theft, McAfee, online threats, rogue anti-virus software, scareware, Viruses