How to Avoid Getting Caught by Phishing

Have you ever gotten an email that looks like it could be from one of the companies you do business with, asking for your login information? Look at it closely: it could be an example of something called phishing.

The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) defines phishing as emails and websites that attempt to get personal information from an individual or company by posing as a trustworthy organization or entity.

Tip 1: don't click on it.

If you have doubts, it's probably good to just ignore the email and delete it. Then be sure to empty the trash.

If you're worried about a possible problem with your account, call the company or go to their website directly -- don't click on the link.

Tip 2: what to do if you ignore tip 1.

The difference of a single character in a URL can lead you to a website that appears almost identical to the legitimate website for the company, but it’s actually run by cybercriminals. 

Don’t expect the text to be riddled with grammar and spelling mistakes like in the old days, because scammers today have sophisticated phishing tool kits that spell check and clone actual websites — making it harder to identify a scam at first glance.

The best advice? Contact the company directly, and delete the email immediately.

Reducing your risk.

Reduce the chances you'll be affected by a phishing expedition by:

●  Changing ALL your passwords regularly.

●  Creating passwords that are hard to break by including random capital letters, numbers and special characters.

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