Gerry's Tech Tip of the Month
GERRY HEBERT
7 More Ways to Spot Email Phishing Scams
According to the FBI, Americans lose more than $50 million every year through phishing scams. Usually, emails pretend to be from an organization you know and often they are indistinguishable from the real thing. Then, they set a trap by spinning a convincing story or explanation for writing. For example, they may say:
- Suspicious activity has been spotted on your account.
- An unrecognized person has tried to log on to your account.
- There's a problem with your account or payment details.
- You can get coupons or free stuff by clicking a link.
- You must pay your account immediately, often via a supposed invoice attachment.
- You have to register for a benefit, such as a government refund.
- Your account has been locked and you need to confirm personal info.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says the best ways to avoid getting snared in one of these scams are to use and update security software, set other software to update automatically, employ multi-factor or two-factor authentication -- that is, using a second code or password to confirm it's really you -- and back up your data.
When you receive an email that asks you to take action, it's good practice to ask yourself whether you know the organization or individual who supposedly sent the message.
-- If the answer is No, then it could be a scam. Don't reply with any confidential information.
-- If the answer is Yes, you do know them, contact the company using a phone number or address you know is genuine and check with them.
More than 300 billion emails are sent globally every day -- yes, every day -- and the number continues to grow. Experts say one in every hundred is a phony. That may not sound a lot, but it nets out at more than 3 billion potential email scams every 24 hours, or more than two million every minute. Be careful!
When you receive an email that asks you to take action, it's good practice to ask yourself whether you know the organization or individual who supposedly sent the message.
-- If the answer is No, then it could be a scam. Don't reply with any confidential information.
-- If the answer is Yes, you do know them, contact the company using a phone number or address you know is genuine and check with them.
More than 300 billion emails are sent globally every day -- yes, every day -- and the number continues to grow. Experts say one in every hundred is a phony. That may not sound a lot, but it nets out at more than 3 billion potential email scams every 24 hours, or more than two million every minute. Be careful!