• Planet Antares Scam Solutions | Phishing Scam Complaints

    Date: 2010.07.21 | Category: How to | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,

    A “phishing” scam is one in which a victim is tricked into giving up sensitive information, such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, PIN numbers or other financial data to a third party.  A scam may arrive in the form of an email from an apparently trusted source, like a bank, credit union or credit card company.

    The communication may ask the user to visit a Web site to verify account information, reactivate an account, or change a password.  A link is provided in the email, and indicates the user will be going to one Web site. In reality, the link takes the user to a phishing site where the sensitive information is collected.

    One recent “phishing” scams involved Web site that was a near duplicate of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. The SIPC is a legitimate government agency whose role is to provide assistance for investors who have experienced losses through insolvent investment brokerages.

    The phony site, which has since been disabled, was designed to collect financial information from persons claiming to have been victimized by Bernard Madoff.  The site sought financial information in order to “process claims” against $1.3 billion in assets discovered in Malaysia and allegedly at the disposal of the agency.

    Phishing sites can be very cleverly disguised, but here are some tips to help avoid phishing scams.

    Don’t click on a link embedded in email. Instead, type the link into a Web browser yourself.  If you hover your mouse over an embedded link, the status bar of your browser or mail reader should show you where the link will take you.  If the two locations don’t match, don’t click on the link!

    Banks, credit card companies and payment services like PayPal don’t need your financial information or your account passwords. If you receive a communication from a bank, credit card issuer or payment service and you don’t know whether it is legitimate, contact the issuer by phone to verify the email’s information.

    Guard your financial passwords, account numbers and routing information carefully. Do not provide this information to anyone for any reason for transactions you did not initiate.  If you suspect that you have given out your account information in error, contact your financial institution immediately for assistance.

    Get more information and tips from planet antares scam solutions.