Catching Phish

If I went fishing what would I be doing? On the Internet fishing (phishing) is similar! On the internet people might want to get your personal information (fish) by sending out lots of messages (bait) Fishing

Phishing is the attempt to acquire personal information like usernames, passwords, and card details by pretending to be a trustworthy person (like a Bank or Shop) Phishing

Full name Date of birth and where you were born Current and previous addresses and phone numbers Driver’s license or passport number Account numbers and the companies where you hold accounts (e.g., Amazon, PayPal, etc.) Passwords Identity Theft People sending phishing s might want to get your:

Phony s will try to trick you into giving up account information and passwords Usually what they’re asking for doesn’t make sense if you think about it, because they should already have that information! Spotting the Fakes… A company may say they need to verify account information:

When the message says you only have a limited time to respond, it is often the sign of a scam. Urgency… They may give their message a sense of urgency:

Scam s often include spelling and grammar errors. A real company would not send out messages containing errors. How is the spelling?... Spelling errors:

Phishing s often have a link within the or an attachment that you are urged to click on. This link can lead you to a site or form where you (unknowingly) give your information to criminals. False link… Link in or attachment:

Scam s often offer things that are too good to be true, like the easy chance to win free money or prizes. Is it too good?... Too good to be true:

You might see a generic greeting that does not personally address you. Proper s from companies will be addressed to you, personally. No name… Generic greeting:

Identity thieves try to make you worry that something is wrong with your account, so you will feel you must immediately respond to the to fix it. Making you worry… Account is in trouble:

Look at the examples of s on the sheet. Can you see anything about them which might mean they are phishing messages? Write anything that is suspicious in the space to the right of the picture. Examples…

Avoid opening the message or in the first place Don’t click on any links or download any attachments. They might contain viruses or spyware. Don’t reply Mark as “junk mail” or “spam” for your provider, or report it to your social network site. If you are concerned about an account you have with a company, contact its customer service by phone. Make sure you verify the company’s contact information elsewhere online first. What to do…