Some info on Email Scams, Fraud and Phishing

What is Phishing (Internet Fraud)

According to Wikipedia, Phishing is:

In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public.

How do you recognize an email scam? Look for these signs:

• The email asks you to forward the email to all your friends (and possibly also back to a certain address)
• The email appears to be from a trusted source like your bank, but the links in the email aren't to their website
• The email tells you that your account with a trusted source has been compromised, and asks you for your login details or asks you to reset your login details by clicking a link
• The email claims you have won a lottery or competition you don't recall entering. Competition winners will be contacted by phone.

Remember, that your bank will never ask for your personal information via email, and if you have won a competition, you will always be contacted by phone. Many of these email scams are very convincing. Many are highly sophisticated with websites that will look almost identical to, for example, your bank's website.

If you are unsure about an email you have received, use the Snopes search to the left, or contact us to find out more.