Don't take the bait. Find out where and how scammers trick victims into giving out their information.
Here are the top 10 places to watch out for predators:
PayPal
eBay
HSBC (an international banking company)
Facebook
Google
IRS
RAPIDSHARE (A German webhosting company)
Bank of America
UBI (United Bank of India)
Bradesco (One of the four leading banks in Brazil)
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Can you spot a phishing attack when you see one? Some messages we laugh off, but others look a little too real — and they’re netting more victims. If you’re not familiar with the term, phishing is an apt metaphor for the crime. The bait: an email or instant message containing an urgent message, usually involving exciting or troublesome news and a request to provide information.
The hook: the legitimate-looking email links you to a legitimate-looking website or web form where you enter sensitive data which can later be sold and used to commit identity fraud. What makes this crime tricky to spot is that the emails and websites can’t easily be distinguished from legitimate organizations. That’s because scammers can forge the look and feel of real websites and communications — a process known as spoofing.
And the waters may be getting a little rougher, according to experts. With growing internet use, there are always more fish to catch and more places to catch them. Secure content management solutions provider Kaspersky Lab recently released it’s list of top targets for phishing attacks worldwide.
Payment services. According to the Kaspersky Lab report, PayPal was the target of more than half of all phishing attacks. PayPal isn’t the only online payment service in the business, but it still garners most of the market share.
Banks and financial institutions: Worried about the safety of banking online? Spammers know it, and can use those concerns against you. Those “helpful...
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http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/Top-phish...
Posted By: Jen Fad
Monday, December 20th 2010 at 10:44AM
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