The Internet has made it easier for con artists to contact individuals and try to get them to divulge important information–information that could allow the criminals to steal an identity. In identity theft, a criminal uses your personal information without your permission to commit a crime (such as fraud).
One of the primary methods criminals use to get individuals to divulge important information is through e-mail. A criminal can set up a computer so that it will send out hundreds of thousands of e-mail messages a day to try to trick recipients into disclosing valuable personal information. This process is called phishing, in which criminals are trying to get the recipients to click a link that takes them to a Web site that looks legitimate. Some examples include a faked bank or credit card company site where customers reveal passwords or account details. Or, criminals want recipients to reply to the e-mail, giving passwords or account details. These e-mail messages often look official, with logos, employee names, business addresses, and so on.
Because phishing scams originate in your e-mail inbox, but can send you to fraudulent Web sites, it's important to use good practices and new filters in both your e-mail program and your Web browser.
Here are some of the steps you should take to prevent your identity from being stolen by Internet criminals:
- The best defense against phishing e-mail is to ignore it. No reputable company will ask you to divulge information by e-mail.
- Treat any e-mail that appears to be trying to get you to disclose information with suspicion.
- If in doubt, contact the company directly by phone or letter. Be sure to type in the Web address (URL) of your bank’s Web site; never click a link or trust your Favorites. Always check to make sure you’ve typed the URL correctly.
- Never click links in e-mail messages from businesses. If you think that the e-mail is legitimate, you should still enter the URL of the Web site directly into your Web browser.
- Always check the security certificate before you enter personal or financial information on a Web site.
- Don't enter personal or financial information into pop-up windows.
Tools to help prevent phishing scams
- Use the latest version of your e-mail program. The newest versions ofMicrosoft Office Outlook, MSN Hotmail, and Windows Live Mail all contain phishing protections.
- Use the latest version of your Web browser. Internet Explorer 7 includes Phishing Filter, which you need to turn on and opt into when you install it.
