Don't Get Hooked!

I have learned a lot about the different ways in which online victimization happens.  There are many ways in which predators are able to lure people into their traps and we don't even realize it's happening until it's too late.  Some of the ways in which scammers get us are phishing, vishing, smishing, pharming and spamming.  Here is a short video from class that briefly explains vishing and smishing if you are not familiar with them.  Until now I didn't realize I myself have been a victim of online scams, luckily my experiences have not really had any bad consequences.



In this last module we learned about something called vishing .A couple months ago after our income taxes were due I received  phone call from a number I didn't recognize so I didn't answer it. They left a voicemail saying they were the IRS and there was something wrong with my taxes and I needed to call them to verify some information.  I though this was weird because we had already filed and received our tax return but I figured maybe they found something after the fact.  I called the number back and when the person who answered said "Hello?" the red flag came up.  If this was the IRS they would not be answering the phone with hello, it would probably be more professional then that or maybe even start with an automated system.  I could also hear people chatting in the background so I hung up realizing it was not legit.  Luckily I realized it and didn't give out any information because that could have been very bad for me.  I am willing to bet many people don't realize it and give out there personal information and just like that they have become a victim.

Smishing is another way in which predators try to lure people into giving away their personal information.  I had never heard of this term until I learned about it in class.  It just happens that I have received text messages saying I have been approved or won something and these messages have web links in them and they want you to click the link.  This is dangerous because if you click on that link it could take you to a fake webpage that can then load a virus on your computer.  Here is a personal example of a recent text message I  received:

I did not apply for a personal loan and this web link does not look official at all.  If I had applied and been approved the loan company would not be notifying me via text message.  Don't be tricked into clicking on these links, there could be someone lurking behind that link! This is an interesting article about smishing and how it's on the rise because of the amount of cell phones users.  It also has some tips on how protect yourself.

The above are just a couple personal examples of ways in which I could have had my identity stolen, I was lucky and didn't have any consequences from these examples. However this is not the case for a lot of people who do end up with painful consequences for clicking on these links or giving personal information out over the phone.  Here is a story of a woman who lost everything because she fell for a vishing attack.  The consequences from these kinds of attacks can ruin your finances, your reputation and even cost you your job!  Be aware and be cautious of any emails, text messages, phone calls and voicemail's from people you don't know! If you think it may be legitimate proceed with caution and take all the right steps to be sure it's legitimate and use your common sense!

 

Don't get hooked! Here are a couple websites to help you keep you personal information safe:

Phishing - http://www.identitytheftkiller.com/prevent-phishing-scams.php

Vishing - http://www.voipits.com/blog/features/learn-to-recognize-and-prevent-vishing

Smishing - http://netsecurity.about.com/od/secureyouremail/a/Protect-Yourself-From-Smishing-Attacks.htm