You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as
bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. Title: Beware of newest activity online… Phishing. Author: Tamara Baruhovich E-mail: marketingplanet1@aol.com Word count: 555 November, 2004. No. I’m not talking here about outdoor activity enjoyed by many. And no again; I did not misspell it. Phishing is name given to latest online scam where millions of unwary Americans are getting their identities stolen.
This fraudulent activity is considered fastest growing crime of modern times. The favorite target groups of phishers seem to be very young children and senior citizens, as they do not often ask for credit reports, fill out credit card applications or solicit loans. This allows thieves to go undetected for longer periods of time; but still, be careful. We all are potential targets.
Remember when throwing away unshredded documents with personal information in trash bin was considered a big risk for identity theft? While this still happens, identity thieves have become more sophisticated in recent times, and this is how they do it…
Phishers create bogus e-mails that look as if they came from large, well-known institutions and banks, such as eBay, Paypal, Citibank, EarthLink, and Wells Fargo among others. These e-mails claim that you are due for an account update, or that account number, password, social security number or other confidential information needs to be verified. Then they warn you, stating that if you do not do it within a certain period of time, that your account will be closed, terminated, service discontinued, or something to that effect.
They even provide you with links to websites that look legitimate, because they hijack real logos of these well known banks, and trusted institutions and companies. And that is scary part… these e-mails look 100% legitimate, but they are not.
