Are You the Big Phish?

 

 

I got a call today from a “Private Number” (that always makes you pause) but I answered it and this automated voice said “ This is Wells Fargo Customer Service.  A recent large transaction on your Wells Fargo Debit card has put your card close to your authorized limit.  Any further charges may result in overdraft fees.   To rectify this situation please press 1 now”.      Well my initial reaction was  “OH MY GOSH, I’m almost over drawn.”  My next reaction was, Wait, I don’t have a Well’s Fargo Debit card, nor credit card, nor do I do any banking with Wells Fargo.   I was just the target of a Phishing Scam,  and even more scary it could have been a Spear Phishing scam.

 

A Phishing Scam is a lot like fishing with a line and pole.  But instead of catching an cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates, unscrupulous people are trying to trick you to get information that would allow them to exploit you or get money from you.   They’ll throw some bait out there which if you bite or nibble on may give them the chance to hook you and reel you in.

 

Most Phishing Scams usually show up in your email box and claim your account is overdrawn, or some other ruse to get you to click on a link.   Recently the term “Spear Phishing” has been used to identify techniques tailored to target specific people or group of people.  It could look as if an email (or phone call) comes from your bank, your mortgage holder, or even a friend of yours.  Most of these scams use “spoofing”  to make it look like you’re receiving an email from somebody who really didn’t send it.   Many of these phishing scams can be quite convincing and will actually use the link and the exact graphics to your banks website.

 

How do you protect yourself from being taken Hook, Line, and sinker in a Phishing Scam?   Here are some basic rules:

 

  1. NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING SENT TO YOU ONLINE OR WHEN THEY CALL YOU.   Really.  That e-mail doesn’t have to be from who it says it’s from, and even if they say your account is in dangerous jeopardy of being closed down – Don’t Believe it until you independently verify it.

 

  1. NEVER CLICK ANY LINK SENT TO YOU or ENTER INFORMATION IN A POP-UP.   Even if it looks like your bank’s webpage, many of these are spoofed to have one little link that sends you to a look alike login account in the bahama’s where somebody’s waiting to get your account id and password.

 

  1. NEVER GIVE ANYONE WHO CALLED YOU ANY INFORMATION.  Banks, Financial institutions and honest business will never call you to get information.  IF there is a problem, they will call you and instruct you to call them.  Be careful if they give you a number – make sure it really is the business.

 

  1. TRUST YOUR GUT.   If you think “something’s fishy”  it probably is.

 

  1. IF IT DOES SEEM LEGITIMATE, YOU CONTACT THEM.  When Online, open a new browser, go to your banks website and login there.   If they called you, hang up,  call the number that you know belongs to your banks and discuss it with them.  But always verify independently of any thing where you were contacted or anything sent to you.

 

 

  1. If you feel you have been a target for phishing, contact the company that the email or phone call appear to be from so they are aware and may be able to warn others.

 

  1. LAST BUT NOT LEAST  - Protect yourself and your computer with SPAM filters, Firewalls,  Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and Anti-Phishing software and make sure it’s updated.

 

Everybody is not a computer geek, and we understand that.  At ProTechTus, our goal is to help make it safer in the online world.  When coming up with a name for our company we decided ProTechTus said a lot of who we are.   We’re PROfessionals at TECHnology for the the resT of US.  ProTechTus.   If you find you need somebody who’s real good at technology, somebody’s whose friendly and you can trust, please feel free to give us a call @ 801.842.7624.

 

Cyberspace is a big place with a lot of information and a great place to be involved, but be aware there are some predators out there that will try to hook you, reel you in and skin you alive, financially speaking.   As long as you’re alert, aware, and follow some simple rules you can be that “Big Fish” …that got away.

 

More information about Phishing:

 

How to avoid being a Phishing Attack Victim:

http://www.antiphishing.org/consumer_recs.html

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt127.shtm

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3000_7-6459186-1.html

 

 

A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune warns of the same scam that I believe called me hoping I’d give account information:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52280874-78/fargo-wells-bank-customers.html.csp

 

 

What to look for in a Phishing scam:

http://www.microsoft.com/canada/athome/security/email/phishing.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/canada/athome/security/email/phishingdosdonts.mspx

 

Anti-Phishing Technologies

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/SmartScreen-Filter-frequently-asked-questions

 

Hope your online experience is a fun and safe one, Your friends from ProTechTus.