SENIOR
SPOTLIGHT
From Peter’s Desk by Peter Laverty
- December 2006 UMC Health System
Tell them to go pfish!
The internet has opened a new
world for those willing to give it a
try. It seems everyone is encouraging
us to enter the world of computers,
and why not, it’s like having
your own personal library. More and
more I find our members using their
computers for more than just email.
It is encouraging to see so many of
us connected and surfing the internet.
Unfortunately, a growing number of
us are falling prey to internet scammers
and identity thieves. One of
the most common scams is a very
official looking email requesting
personal financial information.
When opening your emails, I’m
sure you’ve seen them – emails from
banks, credit card companies, services
such eBay©, and stores that say
that there is some problem with your
account. They may tell you there has
been fraudulent or suspicious activity
and you have to confirm your
information. Some will threaten to
suspend or close your account or
report you to the credit bureau if you
do not respond. Then they tell you to
click on a link in the email to correct
the problem. Do not be fooled by
these very official looking letters. I
have received them and I can’t tell
there fake.
According to Antiphishing.org,
(www.antiphishing.org) “’pfishing’
(also spelled ‘phishing’) is a
term denoting “spoofed” emails and
fraudulent websites designed to fool
recipients into divulging personal
financial data such as credit card
numbers, account usernames and
passwords, social security numbers,
etc. By hijacking the trusted brands
of well-known banks, online retailers
and credit card companies, these
criminals are able to convince up to
5% of recipients to respond to them.”
Unfortunately, a growing percentage
of those are seniors.
How does “pfishing” work? You
receive an e-mail from what looks
like your bank. Little did you know
it was not from your bank but from
two teenagers in Croatia halfway
around the world. They have reproduced
a copy of your bank, Gas
Company, eBay, Sears or any other
retailer’s logo in the world, and created
the official looking notice. They
send out thousands of these emails
and wait for someone to take the
bait. That’s how they “pfish” for
information.
This is as sophisticated as all those
boiler room telephone callers from
years past. They make it look so
real, they make it sound so important..
When you open the email
addressed to “Dear customer”, you
think:
-
“The email has the company
logo so it must be official.”
-
“It’s not a sales pitch – they
weren’t trying to sell me anything”.
-
“They were just being ‘nice’
letting me know about a problem”.
-
“They seem to know what’s going
on with my account so it must be
OK.”
-
“I went to the website they gave
me and it looked ‘right’”.
NO, NO, NO, that is what they
hope you think. They just set the
bait and are now “pfishing” for your
personal information. They want
you to answer so that they can steal
credit information and go shopping
or worse to steal your identity.
Once they, have your name, your
passwords, your date of birth, your
social security number, your account
numbers, they have as they say in the
computer world, “become you”. You
and those nasty boys in Croatia have
become for all intent and purpose the
same person.
When you open your email,
remember the bad guys are really
good at what they do, anyone can be
caught in these scams. Just say no
to any email you receive asking for
your personal information for any
reason.
Remember: No legitimate company
will ever send you an unsolicited
email asking for your bank
account information, credit card
numbers, Social Security number,
passwords, or personal identification
numbers (PIN). Therefore,
NEVER give that information to
anyone who requests this information
by email.
NEVER respond to an e-mail
that looks like it came from your
bank or any of your credit card issuers
no matter how official it looks.
Also, don’t call the telephone number
in the email. Instead, use the
number from an old bank, credit card
statement or other written correspondence.
Read them the email and
follow their instructions. Most of the
time they will tell you it is a scam
and some will ask that you forward
the email to an email address they
give you.
The same is true for companies
like eBay© or any other buisness.
Even if you think there might be
a legitimate issue, NEVER reply
through the link provided in the
email. Instead, type in the URL web
address (that’s the www. address you
can find in one of your old bills or
correspondence). Once you get to
the legitimate website, ask for the
Customer Service Department and
ask if they are aware of a problem on
your account.
So how do you know if someone
is using your credit? Most of
the times it’s after the fact. You need
to check your bank statements and
credit card bills every month look for
any charges that you did not authorize.
Call the company directly, ask
about the charge and follow their
instructions. If you are certain the
charge is not yours contact the police
immediately and file a report. Be
sure to get a copy of the report to
send to the companies involved and
to be sure to keep a copy for their
own records. This is when it is nice
to have a great bank partner that you
can go visit and request help. You
should also contact all three major
credit bureaus (Equifax (800) 525-
6285, Experian (888) 397-3742, and
TransUnion (800) 680-7289) and
tell them that they want a fraud alert
placed on their credit file.
I am not trying to alarm you,
remember no business will send you
an email asking for your birthday,
mother’s maiden name, social security
number or the like. The internet is
a store filled to the brim with information
and entertainment. In today’s
world, it also is another avenue for
bad people to enter into your world.
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