How to Survive – Phishing Scams
Written by: The Survival Guru
What is Phishing
Phishing is a scam where Internet fraudsters send spam or pop-up messages to lure personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims.
To avoid getting hooked:
- Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software
, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly.
- Don’t email personal or financial information.
- Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.
- Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges.
How to Report Phishing
- Forward phishing emails to spam@uce.gov – and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing email. You also may report phishing email to reportphishing@antiphishing.org. The Anti-Phishing Working Group, a consortium of ISPs, security vendors, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies, uses these reports to fight phishing.
- If you’ve been scammed, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft website at ftc.gov/idtheft.
Prevent Phishing
Phishers are looking to lure you with bogus emails and pop-ups that seem safe. Will you take the bait or live to swim another day? Play the game below to see how much you know about phishing scams. Once you have all the information you need you’ll have learned how to survive phishing scams.
Protect your Identity
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