Don't Go Phishing

Image: Malwarebytes

Phishing is defined as the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.  Even recent bombshell news stories about "hacking" Jeff Bezos' phone or the DNC server occurred via phishing emails.  I follow @AppleSupport on Twitter where they recently posted this useful 3 minute video:


Even if you re not an Apple customer, the information is important.  Here are some examples of phishing attempts:
  • An email from "FedEx" indicating they are unable to deliver a parcel
  • An email from "Netflix" saying your account is suspended
  • An email from "American Express" in Spanish
Pay attention to some clues that the email is fraudulent:
  1. Your email app put it in the Junk Mail folder
  2. The return address is not from the purported sender, contains garbage text, or extra letters (like "FedExx")
  3. The email contains misspellings, bad grammar or stilted English
  4. All of the links in the email are identical whether for login to account, unsubscribe, etc.
  5. You don't have an account with the sender
  6. You're not expecting a package to be delivered
In any case, never click on any link in any suspicious email.  Parcel delivery companies are more likely to stick a note on your door.  If you have an account mentioned in the email, log in directly as you normally would or call the company to check your status.  

Image: Wikipedia
Dave Wenning