It's called "phishing" and pronounced just like fishing.
What is it? Simple: Someone is trying to get private and personal information about you, most likely your bank account information or credit card information, so they can use it fraudulently, usually via email (or sometimes via a website).
Often, it comes in the form of an email message with a warning aimed to get your attention. Something like: "... your account will be suspeneded within 24 hours... unless you click on the link below and "re-verify" your information."
Make NO MISTAKE...your bank, PayPal, your credit card company, the US Government,
Here's what to look for:
1) Urgency - they almost always tell you the world is going to end if you don't do something now.
2) No Phone Number - not always an indication of a fake message, but in most cases phishing ploys do not include a phone number - hackers don't like to use phone numbers.
3) Link - there's almost always a link and that link goes to a page that probably looks pretty much like your bank/credit card company
4) Misspellings - are very common with phishing as these often come from foreign sources. Sentences that are gramatically incorrect are another red flag.
Here's what to do:
1) Never respond to an email message with these warning signs by clicking on the link. The link might look like your bank, but trust me, IT IS NOT (the hackers have simply "masked" their link).
2) Never fill in personal or private information by following a link in ANY email message. Even if your bank DOES send you an email message, go to their website from your browser and login like you normally would - never through a different source (email or other website).
3) When in doubt, simply call your financial institution and ask for the Internet Security department.
Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/
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