Phishing: Examples and its prevention methods

It is essential for the computer users to know the term of phishing. Phishing refers to a person or a group of cyber-criminals who create an imitation or a copy of an existing legitimate Web Page to trick users into providing sensitive personal information such as personal IDs, passwords, card numbers and PINs.

Phishing is a fraudulent attempt via email and done it by spamming which means send million of emails to a huge target population with one mouse click. Normally the phishers will include upsetting or exciting statements in the email so that the recipients will react immediately without thinking. This is the way to increase the number of responses.

Typically, the user will receive phishing email from well known business or organization such as Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service or even a government agency.

Following are the few examples of phishing:

• EBay Phishing
• A scammer sends out a million of emails to his email list as his first step. Once the end user receives the email and click on the link in the email, the end user will be taken to a site which is look like eBay designed by the scammer. The end user will attempt to login. Unfortunately, the scammer has get the username and password from the end user. Besides that, the scammer may also claim to be eBay or PayPal and request username and password. Usually the victims are novice users.

• HSBC Bank Phishing
• The customer received the email claiming that the customer's account has been suspended. If the customer want to prevent his account from being suspended, he is required to verify some information by clicking on the link and then verify it. Without knowing, the information has been send to the scammer.
  

• Coca-cola Phishing
  
• The scammer disguised popular commercial company’s name and send email with attachment to the recipient saying that the recipient has won the prize. In order to claim the prize, recipient is requires to provide personal information using a free Yahoo! email address.

• IRS Tax Refund Phishing Scam
  
• An email sent to recipient claiming that there is a tax refund and eligible to receive this particular amount. Therefore, recipient has to click on the link in the email and complete the form. By filling up the form, you will be refunded within 12 days. Actually, all this things are fake and false link.
  

• Hotmail Phishing
  
• Hotmail phishing emails are circulating among Hotmail users. The email stated that you have to submit your login information via email or click on the link or else they will close down all unused accounts. After following the instructions, your account will not be interrupted and back to normal. However, Hotmail does not ask for login information.

Following are some basic prevetion methods to avoid being phished:

• Do not trust the email especially regarding personal financial information. Delete it immediately from your inbox or check and report directly to the bank or the company about the email that you have received.

• Do not call the number or click on the link given in the email. Log into your online accounts regularly to ensure that all transactions are legitimate conducted.

• Never fill up the form in the email messages which is ask for personal financial information. Bank companies will never ask for that.

• Roll the mouse over the link and see if it matches what appears in the email. If there is a discrepency, do not click on the link.

• Use Web Browser to visit secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information.

• Check the web address in the browers address bar that showing “https://” rather than “http://”. The ‘s’ here means secure. Then, a padlock icon will appear in the bottom right corner of the browser window.

• Make sure the browser is up-to-date and security patches applied. Download the security patches at Microsoft Security home page. Here is the link to download security patches : http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx

In conclusion, everyone has to be aware and able to identify various kind of phishing. Phishing has become one of the fastest growing crimes on the internet. Therefore, it is important for us to know how the phishing being conducted and in what kind of ways. In addition, we must know the prevention methods to protect ourself from being phished.

Sources from:

http://antivirus.about.com/od/emailscams/ss/phishing_2.htm
http://kb.cadzow.com.au:15384/cadzow/details.aspx?ID=1422
http://www.phishtank.com/what_is_phishing.php
http://spam-ip.com/phishing-examples.php
http://www.makeitsecure.org/en/phishing.html
http://www.hotscams.com/articles/27/1/Fake-Coca-Cola-Lottery-Scam-178226-GBP-Winnings/Page1.html
http://www.anti-phishing.info/avoid-phishing.html
http://www.makeitsecure.org/en/videoHelp_phishing_anim.html (an animation video of phishing)