"Phishing" - What It Is and How It Affects You

Yes, I did spell this term correctly.  "Phishing" is the term applied to scams online which attempt to gain one's personal information (bank account number, credit card information, etc.) by fraudulent means.  Usually this is accomplished by tricking the user into visiting an authentic looking site and asking for information that is not normally asked for by a bank, credit card company, or online retailer.  One of the more common methods is by sending mass e-mails to people stating that their "account information is compromised" or the "account has been suspended due to a security violation" and asks the user to "visit the link below" to reinstate the account.  Once the user clicks the seemingly legitimate link in the e-mail, they are redirected to the "account update" site which is a valid looking site NOT hosted by the bank or credit card company asking for the user's information.  What this site does is collect your information (bank account number, ABA routing number, mother's maiden name, password, address, PIN number, etc.) and forward it to the bad guys to be used against you.  When the bad guys get this information, they use it to open accounts in the user's name, steal money from the user's bank account, use the user's credit card fraudulently, and so on, until they have asserted control over the user's life savings.

It is important to follow this one piece of advice.  DO NOT CLICK ON LINKS in your e-mail.

If you receive an email purportedly from one of the companies or banks that you do business with, DO NOT CLICK ON LINKS in the email.  If there is a "security breach" you will NEVER be notified by e-mail.  Call your bank or financial institution using the number on the back of your bank card or on your paper statement if you have questions or intend to do any business over the phone or type the web address of the bank into the browser yourself.  This ensures that you are being directed to the correct site.

This page is currently under construction and will be updated as necessary.