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Consumer Alert!
Don't Be a Victim. How NOT to Get Phished.
Phishing attacks are fraudulent emails that appear to come from authentic online merchants or financial institutions.
These messages ask you to "update" account information (including credit card and checking account information, social security numbers, addresses and telephone numbers). Most phishing scams instruct you to do so via a form in the body of the email. Sometimes, you’re instructed to click through to a phony, but official-looking Web page.
Phishing attacks against online consumers have become so widespread that an estimated 57 million Americans have received fraudulent emails and 1.98 million may have fallen victim to the subsequent scams, resulting in approximately $1.2 USD billion in direct costs to U.S. banks and credit card issuers.*
GOEGI is taking charge in warning businesses, merchants and consumers who conduct business online, to protect themselves from phishing attacks. We are presently integrating the Sender ID Framework for email authentication (co-developed by Microsoft and Meng Wong, CTO of pobox.com) into our email security system, and will continue our leadership position in the fight against spam and online phishing scams.
We encourage you to follow these tips from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and avoid becoming the latest victim of a phishing attack:
- If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email.
- Never email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting such information.
- Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether any unauthorized charges appear.
- Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge.
- Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who appears to have sent them.
- Report suspicious activity to the FTC. If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov.
View the FTC's Alert regarding Phishing
*According to a new study by research firm, Gartner, Inc.
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