HOW TO FIND NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES
The way we communicate is completely different than the way the previous generation communicated. Interacting online through social media, email, and other forms of Internet-driven modes of communication is the norm today. But since the beginning of computer-based technology and especially since the conception of the Internet, we have dealt with new threats including spam and phishing emails.
What Is The Difference Between Spam and Phishing Emails?
What is Spam? It is “…known as unsolicited bulk email messages or any email messages irrespective of content that is unwanted or unrequested by the recipient.”
Spam can come in many forms including commercial advertisements, chain letters, and political mailings.
“Phishing is a special type of spam that is intended to trick you into entering your personal or account information for the purpose of breaching your account and committing identity theft or fraud.”
Phishing emails usually look like legitimate mail from sources that you are used to. It could look like it’s from your bank, your school, or from the places you shop. Phishing emails may even have the company logo within the message.
The intention of a phishing email is to try to trick you into giving out confidential information that you would only give to trusted sites.
What Information Are Phishing Emails After?
According to adaware.com, “normally you are asked to enter information such as your name, date of birth, place of birth, social security number, mother’s maiden name, bank account number, and bank account PIN. Websites that are frequently spoofed by phishers include PayPal, eBay, MSN, Yahoo, BestBuy, and America Online.”
Once these people have a hold of your personal information, they can assume your identity and do a tremendous amount of damage to different aspects of your life.
Phishing emails can take over your own email address and trick your friends into downloading malware onto their devices as well. Not only do they target you through emails sent to you, but they can also target you and your contacts by hijacking conversations that are already in progress.
“Conversation-hijacking attacks are when hackers manage to infiltrate legitimate email threads between people and use highly-customized phishing techniques to make it look as if the victim is the one sending messages back and forth.
Phishing Emails Are More Prevalent Than Ever
Phishing emails have been around for quite some time, but the incidences seem to be at an all-time high.
App River reported, “throughout 2017 we observed a major increase in phishing efforts, reaching peak levels over the summer, and this trend has continued to intensify in 2018.”
In January, it was stated that over 34,000 cases of malicious emails were reportedfrom compromised email addresses. This number only represents some of the people that were affected. Some people don’t even know that their email address and personal information has been compromised. How do you know if you have been compromised? How do you recognize a phishing email?
Spear-Phishing Vs. Phishing
Phishing attacks are incredibly intelligent these days that attackers are actually targeting specific people. These personalized attacks on an individual are called spear-phishing. This type of attack is done by gathering information such as friends, hometown, employer, etc.
“The attackers then disguise themselves as a trustworthy friend or entity to acquire sensitive information, typically through email or other online messaging. This is the most successful form of acquiring confidential information on the Internet, accounting for 91% of attacks.”
How To Recognize Phishing?
There are a couple of different ways to identify a phishing email. If the email looks suspicious, be wary. One way to identify a phishing email is if the message has a mismatched URL. You can easily check this by hovering over the URL. If the hyperlink address does not match the address displayed – the email could be counterfeit.
One easy way to recognize a phishing email is if the message is poorly written. If the email has grammatical errors and misspelled words, there is a chance it is fraudulent. Most companies have professional writers sending out these emails and a team of copy editors reviews the email before it is sent out. An email with numerous errors could be a sign of phishing.
If the message asks for your personal information it may be phishing as well. An example of this is, your “bank” asking for your account number. It doesn’t need your account number, because it already has it.
Another thing to look out for is if the domain name is suspicious. Make sure the website name is right next to the domain name (ex. COM, EDU, NET, ORG). If something comes in between the company and the domain name there is a chance the message is fraudulent.
Winning something from a site or company you didn’t sign up for or initiate any interaction with could very likely be from a phisher. Or if the offer seems too good to be true, there is a good chance it is too good to be true.
Sometimes people go about phishing in a completely different way. Instead of using a subtle approach to trick you, some use a scare tactic in its place. One can differentiate these unrealistic threats by using some common sense. Most banks won’t close your account and seize your property, but this is a commonly used tactic.
Another scare tactic is pretending to be law enforcement or a government agency. Most of these organizations wouldn’t use email to contact you.
Tips To Avoid Phishing Emails
Be cautious when opening attachments or clicking on links. Even if these messages are from your friends and family, be cautious regardless. Their accounts could possibly be hacked as well. If you receive an email from someone you haven’t heard from in a while – be cautious.
If you have any doubts whatsoever about the email you just received, make a quick call and ask for verification.
Where Can I Report Phishing Emails
If you realize you’ve been a victim of phishing there are a couple of different things you can do. The first thing you should do is to change your password.
The next thing you should do is report the incident. Contact the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is here to protect and prevent consumers from unfair practices including phishing emails. You can file a report at ftc.gov/complaint.
If you feel as though you have been a victim of identity theft, you can report that to identitytheft.gov.
“You can also report phishing email to reportphishing@apwg.org. The Anti-Phishing Working Group – which includes ISPs, security vendors, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies – uses these reports to fight to phish.”
Even if you take precautions to help with your online security, there is still a chance you could fall victim to phishing. If this happens to you, there are resources at your disposal to help with these instances. But hopefully, this article has given you more insight and understanding of what phishing is and how to avoid it. Be safe out there and always be cautious.
