We are all perfectly aware that there are plenty of people out there on the internet who would like nothing more than to get their hands on your personal details and compromise all of your online online accounts both big and small.
There are many ways in which a criminal can get all of this information but the most common way is not through any form of computer hacking it is actually through what is known as phishing.
You have probably heard phishing referred to as phishing scams. A phishing scam is usually an email or webpage which is designed to look like a genuine, often well known, and legitimate company. The aim of any phishing scam is to trick a person into believing that the fake website or email is a genuine company and they then input their login credentials. A very common phishing scam that most people will encounter at some point is when they receive an email from what appears to be PayPal. The email will look genuinely like it is from PayPal and will feature company logos etc. and inform the recipient that their account has been compromised or that PayPal has transferred money from the persons account. There will, somewhere in the email, be a link for the recipient to click on and log into their PayPal account and dispute any transaction. The user then panics and clicks on this link but instead of been taking to the official PayPal login page they are taking to a different website which looks identical to the official PayPal website. The user fails to realise the difference and inputs their login credentials and the phishing scam has then served its purpose and stolen the user’s login details. From here the creator of the phishing scam can buy things and send himself money with your PayPal account and also has access to a wealth of your personal information.
If this all sounds very scary you will be pleased to know that phishing scams are quite easy to avoid and detect as long as you take and few basic precautions while checking your emails and surfing the World Wide Web.
In this article we will give you details on how to avoid and spot a phishing scam.
Email.
Check Email Addresses.
Whenever you receive an email, regardless of how official it may look, make a point of always checking and then double checking the email address. An email phishing scam may look official with the company name in the email address but it never is. It may be a Hotmail email address such as yourbank@hotmail.com. Double check the email address on your email with the official company email addresses. Do they match 100%?
Check Where the Email Links to.
Phishing emails usually will contain an internet link with the hope that you will click on it and be taken to a website. If your suspected email contains a link then double check where the link is directing you. Although the website that it leads to may look like the real McCoy it probably is not. If you do not recognise the website then do not click on the link.
Login Though The Website.
If you get a suspicious email which is informing you of a purchase you did not authorise or that is directing you to a website for you to login then do not panic and click on any link that may be within the email.
If you wish to double check your account then login to the actual website rather than clicking on a link to login. By actually heading to the website manually through your browser you reduce the chance of risking anyone compromising your account or you been tricked into logging your details to a fake website.
Check the Companies Policies.
If you receive an email regarding your account been compromised before you do anything head on over to the company’s website and checking out there policies regarding such matters. This way you can learn about which process the company will officially take and see if it matches with the procedure of the email you have received.
Websites.
Double Check the Website URL.
If you happen to be on a website which you are not sure about then check and double check, even triple check, the websites URL (the www address). A website may very well look like the official company website but the URL is probably different to the official company websites URL. If you do not recognise the URL then do not enter any personal information.
Always Update Your Web Browser.
Many phishing scams function by making use of security flaws in your web browser. When a web browser updates their software it is usually to fix any potential security issues so it is always good practice that you keep your browser software up to date so that you keep the chances of anyone using a software security flaw to gather personal information.
Always Practise Safe Surfing.
Do not go clicking on links which you do not know where they lead to. Stay away from porn websites (I know, I know) and avoid websites promising free stuff like making millions of dollars and electronic equipment.
Use Security Software.
Make a point of installing security software on your computer to protect you while you are browsing the internet. Such software can act like eyes in the back of your head keeping an eye out for the potential dangers that you may miss.
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