KNOXVILLE (WATE) – You’re probably familiar with the term “phishing,” the technique used by identity thieves to lure you into providing information or clicking on malware-infested links in emails and text messages. There’s now a new tougher phishing scam going on called “spear phishing.”
Often it is easy to recognize phishing emails because they come addressed generically to “Dear account holder,” rather than being addressed to you specifically by name. The goal of all phishing emails is to get you to provide personal information quickly in order to avoid some dire consequence.
Ironically, many phishing emails tell you that there has been a security problem with your bank account or credit card and in order to remedy the problem, you must confirm your identity by providing personal information. Once you do that your identity can be stolen.
With spear phishing, the identity thief already holds some of your personal information, such as your name and companies with which you do business. Often they obtain this information through hacking of companies or governmental agencies. They then use this information to specifically tailor a phishing email to you that not only appears to come from a company or agency with which you do business, but also uses your name and maybe even your account number.
So how do you protect yourself from spear phishing? Actually, it is easier than you might think.
When you get an email asking for personal information or asking you to click on a link that looks legitimate to you, don’t do it. Instead, first call the purported source of the email at a phone number you know to be accurate to determine whether the email was legitimate.
If you think you’ve been a victim of a phishing scheme, or even if you haven’t, it’s a good idea to check your credit reports frequently to make sure no one is trying to open unauthorized lines of credit in your name. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and Transunion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.
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