Teach a man to Phish and he will eat your dinner

What is Phishing?


In Simple terms: Crooks use "fake" emails and sometimes software to get your personal information... and then take your money

In not so Simple terms: ->Click to Read<-

How to protect yourself:

(Hey you can spend 5 minutes reading or 50 days recovering from ID theft) :)
  • Email Paranoia leads to financial health - don't trust any email with urgent requests for personal financial information


    • You won a million dollars!!!, Limited time OFFER, I want to give my dead aunt's money to you... Yeah right!!! I can bet my horse's tail that it's a bait email


    • Never ever give out info like usernames, passwords, SSN etc


    • They might look like valid messages from your bank or e-commerce company, they might even be personalized, but always call to check if you are unsure


  • If anyone sends you links in an email, instant message, or chat - don't click on them. Either log onto the website directly or call the company to confirm


  • If someone askes you to fill out a form with personal details in an email, think about it for 2 minutes... and then don't do it.


  • Always ensure that you're using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser


    • Phishers might spoof the "https://" and a legitimate-looking address. Make it a habit to enter the address of any financial website yourself and don't depend on displayed links.


    • Phishers may also forge the yellow lock you would normally see near the bottom of your screen on a secure site. If you get a warning when you double click on it do not continue.

  • Get in the habit of looking at the address line. Did you click on a link thinking you were going to citibank? Does the address line display something different like "http://www.gimmeyomoney.com/citibank/login.htm?" If it does,stay away.


  • Use a Web browser with a tool bar to help protect you from known fraudulent websites. Internet Explorer 7 and FireFox v 2 have this. So don't wait... get


  • Check all your online accounts and statements regularly. If someone is messing with your account you have a better chance of catching it early.


  • Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied


  • Do your part against crime. Report "phishing" or "spoofed" e-mails to the following groups:


    • Forward the email to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov
    • Forward the email to the "abuse" email address at the company that is being spoofed (e.g. "abuse@ebay.com")