Sep 28 2008
Avoiding Online Scams (Phishing)
Spam filters while great are never 100% accurate. There is one technique that scammers use and is easily identifiable:
You receive an email that says that your account information needs to be updated and you need to click this link to solve the problem. While most companies never do this via email it seems that a lot of people will respond to this. It’s called the “phishing” technique.
Most scams like this are easily spotted by identifying 4 sets of numbers right after the “http://” part of the link. It will look like this: “http://555.555.555.555/accounts” or something similar.
The way this works is it allows the scammer to “dial a wrong number” to their own website that is a copy of the site in question. Most legitimate sites like will include their domain name in the address part itself.
The best way to avoid this in general is to not click on links sent to you via email unless you trust the source. If you need to update information at a site that you use log into the site the way you normally would and access it that way.
Never reply to these emails – as soon as you do you are confirming that you have a valid email address. Big mistake!
What should you do if you have unwittingly provided any personal information, particularly bank information?
1. Call your bank immediately so your credit card or account can be monitored/suspended.
2. Report the scam to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission). You can do this on the following link: http://tinyurl.com/acccscamwatch or by calling them on 1300 302 502.
3. Change your passwords immediately. Information on password security is available here.
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