FAQs: What is Phishing?
Below are the answers to frequently asked questions from Consumer Credit Counseling Service clients regarding our services. Please review them, your question may have already been answered!
- Q. What is Phishing?
- A. Security Bulletin: Phishing
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester, Inc wants to be sure you have the facts about email fraud, identity theft and computer hacking. The most common type of fraud, referred to as Phishing is the practice of sending phony email messages to individuals that directs them to a phony web site. Directing someone to a phony web site is referred to as spoofing.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses email or pop-up messages sent by an imposter claiming to be from a trusted source such as your bank or regulatory agency. The imposter directs you to provide and/or verify confidential information or perform other tasks at a spoofed web site.
How does it work?
The hackers or imposters create a look alike or replica of an existing web page to trick you into providing personal information. The email message generally prompts the recipient to click on a link that redirects them to a fake web page. Criminals send thousands of emails at a time to random or targeted addresses. There hope is that someone will be tricked into providing personal information to them. The FBI has labeled Phishing the fastest growing cyber crime of the internet.
What type of personal information should not be shared?
Account or credit card numbers
Passwords or PINS
Social Security Number
Mothers maiden name
Other private information
What you can do to protect yourself.
Never respond to unsolicited email requests that prompt you to disclose personal information.
Notify the trusted source of the unsolicited email request for information so that they can determine if the activity was fraudulent.
If you receive an unexpected email saying that your account will be closed if you do not provide personal information, do not reply or click on any links in the email. Contact the trusted source immediately to verify the status of your account.
You can learn more about how to protect yourself from identity theft by visiting the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporations FDIC web site at www.fdic.gov
- « Go Back to FAQ's
