The Top Five E-Mail Scams (5)

by Joshua Fruhlinger on April 13, 2007 at 01:33 PM

Scam #5: Gone Phishing

The Come-On
This scam usually comes in the form of an e-mail warning you that you need to update your bank (or PayPal) account for security purposes.

The Scam
The link in the e-mail takes you to what looks like your bank's real Web site, but is actually a rogue site designed to capture your login information. Once the criminals have this information, they can go and log into your actual account and begin siphoning money, information, and even try to use the same log-in information for your other accounts, as most people use the same password across various sites.

What You Can Do
Carol says: "Crooks have come up with some pretty ingenious ways of disguising themselves as a trusted institution or company in order to get consumers' personal information. The key to avoiding ID theft via being phished is to
remember that YOU are in control of your personal data. Keep it secure, and don't give it to someone who prompts you to unless you're confident that they need it for legitimate purposes."

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Comments

128

loulouMay 26th 2007 12:21PM

Neutral

Received Bogus Lottery with checks enclosed advising of huge winnings from Canada. Bogus bank in Denver, CO, Savings & Loan Company in Cerritos, CA. All bogus.

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angieMay 26th 2007 12:31PM

Neutral

What about the "make $1,000's weekly or even daily working on line in your own home with no experience necessary"? Advertising, that all you need is a computer but need no real computer experience and don't even need to know how to type or work the internet. There seem to be thousands of these advertisements to get rich online. One took me and their claims weren't true at all. There was a lot more involved and very hard to understand, so their claims were a complete lie, simple as that. In addition, I never made a dime. How are these companies allowed to make false claims like this? Is it legal to lie and make false claims taking peoples money that believed your lie? Why don't they have to prove that their claims are legit and really work?

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EvelynMay 26th 2007 1:38PM

Neutral

I have had phishing attempts made on me many times. I always go to the financial institution's web site and find their fraud link so I can forward the e-mail. (Note: always type this into your browser yourself -- don't use a link from the phishing e-mail.) My theory is the institution being impersonated is most likely to act. Nobody will deposit funds with them if they can't be sure they're safe, so the banks have to protect their good name by going after the phishers.

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JSIMANCASMay 31st 2007 4:31PM

Neutral

" My relative died and left me 200 million dollars, i can't get it out of my country, and if you send me your name and address and bank account , i can share it with you" You dummies up there , go for it

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Anne WarowayAug 15th 2007 4:05PM

Neutral

Paypal and other have to give us the tools to fight back and we have to be able to send "this trash right back where it comes from" masking our URL but planting a virus to destroy the computer where it is originating from. We also should have a link allowing us to forward the E-mail to law enforcement sites so they would be tracked automatically. I personnally hate receiving this garbage and some are really scarry because so close to the real sites. It is just incredible to see that the scammers can circulate the same E-mail for so long and to so many giving them chances to strike large number of target with chances to catch more trusting victims.
AW

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PaulaSep 8th 2007 11:26AM

Neutral

They were hitting me hard for about 2 weeks. They said I had won lotteries from the u.k. I had won aleast 10 lotteries in one week. Also I was recieving notices about inheritance money owed me.Ha Ha Funny it was all from the u.k.Dah. Then I started getting business propositions,from no other the U.k. Something about being a proxy for their money. People send me their money and a take out 10% and mail the company the rest. It would all boil down to my bank account number, or me sending money for fee's and things like that. I e-mailed them back and told them I was on to them and they were a fool to think I would give them my information.

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Michael ClarkOct 4th 2007 3:54PM

Neutral

I have been getting one from a very propper looking IRS web telling me I am due a refund from the IRS and just need to verify my name, add., day time phone # and of course my credit car# and the 3 number security code so they cand send my 243 dollar refund right to my credit card acct. You really gotta be dumb to fall fer that one. The e-mail looks real good but if you look at the address you are sending this info to, it sez IRS.gov but then there a / and a whole bunch of other directions for the info to go.Watch out fer it, it looks like an authentic IRS comunication..

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randolphg2003Oct 31st 2007 12:07PM

Neutral

I found your site on a google search but and it showed the site I wanted to ask about but now on your site I cannot find the company i was looking to ask about?

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