Phishing
ICT exam preparation
What is Phishing
Con artists might send millions of fraudulent email messages with links to fraudulent website that appear to come from websites you trust, like you're bank or credit card company, and they request that you rovide you're personal information. Criminals can use this for many different types of fraud, such as to steal you're money from you're account, to open new accounts in you're name or to obtain documetns using you're identity.
How to recognise a Phishing email
- Alarmist messages and threats of account closures
- Promises of money for little or no effort
- Deals that sound too good to be true
- Requests to donate to a charitable organization after a natural disaster that has been in the news
- Bad grammar and misspellings.
What are the ways to prevent Phishing
- gaurd against spams.
- Communicate personal information only via phone or secure websites.
- Do not click on links, download files or open attachments in emails from unknown users
- Never email personal or financial information, even if you are close with recipent.
- Beware of links in emails that ask for personal information.
- Beware of pop-ups
- Protect you'recomputer with firewall, spam filters, anti-virus and anti- spyware software
- Check you're online account and bank statements regulary
What do you do if you think you have been a victim of Phishing
If you're a victim of identity theft(phishing), it's important to act quickly.
- If you must immediateluy change all password ( financial passwords firsts)
- disconnect you're computer from the internet
- restart you're computer in safe mode
-back up you're data
-contact the companies e.g. banks
- report the attack to the polie
- consider other information