They call it “phishing” – trolling for information using spam, trying to catch — you, or rather, your identity. A recent survey estimated that 7 million adults in the U.S. were victims of identity theft, a 79% increase over last year. Although identity theft is mostly practiced off-line the online world is experiencing this crime at an increased rate.
Dubbed “phishing,” scam artists send fraudulent emails to customers of service providers or retailers with whom customers regularly do business (recent targets have included eBay, Pay Pal and Earthlink). The emails look as though they came from the provider and claim they need the consumer to verify his or her account information. Customers are asked to click on a link that directs them to a page designed to mimic the service provider’s site. This fake page asks the customer to re-submit their personal information for the account, sometimes including passwords and even the social security number.
All of this information is grabbed by the scammer who can then use it to make purchases, hack into bank accounts and otherwise steal your identify.
How do you know if an email is from a legitimate source? It’s difficult, but officials say a major tip off is when the email claims the information is needed due to a computer crash or other problem. Another clue can be found in the URL of the site you asked to visit: secure sites often use “htpps” instead of “http” at the beginning of the URL address.
Experts warn consumers never to respond to any email, which asks for passwords, account numbers, social security number or other personal account information. Reputable companies will never ask for this kind of information via email. Never click on links within emails. If you wish to visit the site enter the URL address in the browser. Also, to verify a questionable email link send a message to the provider and attach the email you received.
Online identity theft is growing. Be aware, and don’t become a victim.
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Laura Quarantiello is the author of “Cyber Crime How to Protect
Yourself From Computer Criminals” More information at
http://www.tiare.com/cyber.htm
