Its
summer time which means it’s time to hit the river or the lake with my favorite
pole. While sitting along a beautiful river bank with a bucket full of fish
can’t be beat, not all fishing is that
relaxing.
The other kind of phishing is the fraudulent act
of imitating legitimate organizations via email, text messaging or phone calls.
The goal is to get personal information,
passwords and credit card numbers. And it happens all the time. BBB's Scam
Tracker has 141 reports of phishing scams in Idaho since June of last year,
with the most significant incident resulting in an Eastern Idaho woman losing $500.
It started with an email, seemingly from Paypal,
warning her account was hacked. The email instructed her to purchase five $100
Google Play gift cards in order to resolve the issue. Then, they asked for more
money, “to get the rest of the hackers out,” and also stated they would notify
the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau about the incident. But,
of course, none of that was true and her money was gone girl.
Phishing is a larger issue than just a type of
scam; it’s a tactic con artists use in many other types of scams. They cast a
wide net with these emails hoping to catch you off guard and ensnare you into one of
their cons.
Here's what to look for:
- Phishing messages typically either offer a reward (a gift card or
free item), threaten a punishment (deactivate account or report to
authorities), or appear completely mundane (a file from an office scanner). - In the communication, the scammer urges the target to download
malware, click a link, or share information. In the case of an email or text,
the link frequently leads to a form, which prompts the target to enter personal
information. - Be cautious of generic emails. Scammers try to cast a wide net by
including little or no specific information in their fake emails. Always be
wary of messages that don't contain your name or other personalizing
information. Keep in mind it’s not
difficult for scammers to copy and paste logos to make emails look legitimate. - Be careful before you click. Hover over a link to see where it
leads. Before entering personal information or passwords on any website, double
check you have the correct URL and watch for minor misspellings.
Don't take the bait! If you think you have
received a phishing email the best thing to do is delete it. If you are
questioning the legitimacy of an email, contact the company directly. Do not
use the contact information contained in the suspicious email.
Protect your personal information, so the only phishing stories you’ll have to tell this summer are about that trout you swear was at least as long as your arm.
If you have fallen victim to a scheme like this, please submit a report to BBB Scam Tracker.