Phishing is an e-mail scam centred on tricking you into revealing personal information with often devastating consequences.
Con artists send out elaborate e-mails which resemble correspondence from a legitimate financial institution or online account. Phishers commonly use eBay, PayPal and online banks as targets.
Computer users will unwittingly follow the link embedded in a genuine looking e-mail, complete with seemingly authentic images and logos and follow the instructions to provide login details or bank/credit card details.
The con artists can then use your information to clear your bank account, make purchases online or in the worst case, steal your identity to apply for loans and credit cards.
Educating yourself and your family is the only sure method to defend yourself against phishing. As an extra precaution, downloading anti-spam software is a good way to protect your e-mail application from spam and the threat of phishing.
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By Nick Pegley
What is phishing? It's a dangerous con which uses spam email for luring its victim. Unlike a worm or virus, it doesn't hurt your computer, but it can harm something even more sensitive - personal finances and your bank account. |
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By Mitch Hampson
The problem at the moment is when you receive an email which directs you to a website that you are familiar with, then you are asked to update all of your personal information, I think just about everyone has probably received one of these. |
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By Bernard Pragides
Crime still doesn't pay, even if it's phishing. And although phishing may seem like a new word to many, especially with the latest updated Internet Explorer browser that is said to detect possible phishing activity on websites, it is an old term for old criminal activity involving technology. |
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By Kelly Hunter
A certain saying claims that crime does not pay but the behaviour of the criminals involved in such crimes shows otherwise. You find a number of these criminals involved in different types of crimes of one nature or the other over a long period of time. The different types of crimes being committed often vary in their nature and the ingenuity of the people who hatch these schemes. With each new technology meant to counteract the effects of crimes, you find criminals who develop devious means in order to circumvent the various measures that were designed to keep them out. The Internet is one area of technology that criminals have also invaded and which they now stake their claim. Billions of dollars are lost annually to Internet crime and time and time again people keep falling for these same scams that deprive them of their money. Phishing is one such crime that has come to light in recent times and to protect yourself you should understand what it is all about. |
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Phishing
