According to the UK Card Association, the incidence of phishing, an online strategy used to secure financial information from unsuspecting victims, has increased significantly in recent years. While some people think they may be above being swindled via online means, the fact is that people of every age, gender, educational, and economic status have fallen prey to this type of illegal activity. Fortunately, there are a few ways to minimise the chances of having your bank or credit card accounts compromised by phishers, and thus protect yourself from many of these schemes.
Since phishing often relies on individuals clicking on what appear to be perfectly legitimate links in an email, make it a point to never click links that are purportedly from a banking institution. Often, these links are accompanied by dire warnings that something is amiss with the account, and ask the recipient to click on the enclosed link to verify their account information. Be aware that no bank uses this approach to resolve account issues. Instead, contact your bank or credit card company, report the fraudulent email, and forward it to the address provided by the institution.
Also be aware of unsolicited offers from businesses that you do not know and cannot find much online about. This is especially true if those offers require you to enter your private information, including financial data, to proceed. There is a good chance that the email solicitation is an attempt to collect your information for unauthorised use.
Even if the name looks somewhat familiar, don’t assume it is legitimate. One popular strategy phishers use today is to create a junk domain name that either has an added word to the name of a well known bank or retailer, or to spell the name of the institution with one incorrect letter. Conduct an Internet search and you will soon find the correct spelling of the institution’s URL, and will know if the email you received is from a legitimate source. As with any type of attempt to defraud you, forward the email to the fraud division of the business that the phisher is pretending to be.
A good rule of thumb is that if something does not seem right about the email, provide the sender with no data whatsoever. Assume the email is not legitimate until you can prove otherwise. This one simple approach will go a long way toward keeping you, your money, and your credit rating from harm.
Tags: Credit Cards, Phishing
