Phishing phraud

Folks, a short one today. The main point can be found in this report from Gartner– 3,500,000 Americans gave up sensitive information to phishers in 2007, for a total loss of $2.8 billion dollars. We, Dear Reader, are being conned and ripped-off at an alarming rate.

I have talked about phishing here before, and warned you against clicking on the links you receive in e-mails before too. These phishers have become so skillful and crafty that it truly is nearly impossible for the average person to tell a fraudulent phishing website from the real. The phraudsters are also developing techniques that are making the usual defenses (ie, “blacklists”) ineffective. And the number of cyber-criminals, and their phishing sites, is growing.

Tip of the day: Turn on a heuristic phishing filter.
It is more important than ever that you exercise caution and apply safe browsing practices when you go online. (To read my prior articles on phishing and safe browsing, click here.) One of the few tools that can help you when it comes to these bogus websites is a filter which uses heuristics to watch the webpage for activity that indicates hacker techniques.

For those of you using IE 7, make sure this filter is turned on. Click on the “Tools” menu (upper-right corner) and then select “Internet Options”. Then click on the “Advanced” tab.

Now scroll down through the list of options until you see the Phishing Filter (as shown) and make sure the “Turn on automatic website checking” radio-button is selected.
Click on “OK”.
Now you will have some protection enabled, and when you go to a website that is not “acting right”, a warning message will pop-open and alert you. When this happens, I suggest you close that window and leave that site quickly.

For those of you using “alternative” browsers; you may find a built-in phishing filter much like IE’s (by exploring the Options) depending on which one you have (some do, some don’t) or you can download an “extension” (aka “plug-in”), such as SiteAdvisor, and today’s free link.

Today’s free link: the free version of LinkScanner allows you to right-click on a hyperlink (in an e-mail you receive, for instance) and determine if it is valid. I can recommend the “Pro” version, as well, as a much more complete tool.

Help protect your privacy and your “identity”, and take these simple steps. And, maybe, send this article to your friends.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved.

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