You’ve heard of phishing attacks by now. We touched on some of the facts about these kinds of scams and discussed Norton’s claim that of the 12,000 or so people surveyed in 2011, roughly 10% admitted they have been the victim of a phishing attack in the last year.
Phishing occurs when a victim is tricked into handing over their private information under false pretenses. It’s a simple concept that can be executed via simplistic or complex methods.
Often enough, if a cyber criminal gets a hold of a victims email address, they may create a fake message appearing to come from a trusted source. For instance, if a cybercriminal hacks into your banks database, they may gain access to your email address. They can then send you their phishing message, which is identical or similar to a message your bank would normally send you. These fake messages will often ask you to visit a rogue landing page (again, identical to that of your bank) where they will provide a form that asks for your personal information. Due to the highly tailored nature of these scams, a surprising number of people fall victim to them every day. It’s important to check the URL of any website you visit before giving up personal data. A website’s privacy policy will often tell you which information they may ask you, and what types of data they collect on you.
The more information a cybercriminal gains about someone, the easier it becomes for them to obtain login information, bank account credentials, social security numbers and so on. You’d be surprised how many people are susceptible to hacks just by what is publicly available online, coupled with some common sense. This is further proof of why it’s so important to remain vigilant when shopping, banking, and browsing online.
Check back with us soon for Part 6 of our pickpocket series.
Part 1: The Online Pickpockets of The World Wide Mall
Part 2: The Online Pickpockets of the Worldwide Mall
Part 3: The Online Pickpockets of The World Wide Mall
