WTF is phishing ?

[Rambo]

Come on you computer guru's. is phishing ?

My pc recently requested an update and now I have got something like a phishing filter. I haven't got a clue what it does but I know I can turn it on and off and check to see if LEC is a reported phishing website and other stuff ..... but what does it actually do ?

This is beginning to phiss me off so someone please explain

[ailwyn]

Where someone sends you an email which claims to be and looks like it's from your bank, but in fact when you follow the link it takes you to some website in nigeria which looks like your internet banking site.

It's a scam to try and get you to hand over bank account details, passwords, security question answers etc.

The phishing filter will try to warn you about any site that claims to be something it's not.

A far better policy (and more reliable) is to not click on links in emails that ask for any personal info/security details. This also applies to Paypal, E-Bay, Amazon, or anything similar.

[Foo]

Edit: Ailwyn Wins >:E

[ailwyn]

Edit: Ailwyn Wins >:E

Was it a race?

[Foo]

I'm going to pretend like it wasn't

[Gary]

It was damn close because your posts were at the same time ! Perhaps posts from Mods take priority

[Rambo]

Thanks for the reply Ailwyn. I will probably use this filter and am already wary about opening any e-mails without knowing the sender.

I seem to get quite a few e-mails from Barbara and Cathy no doubt wanting tto show me a good time - but more likely wanting a wad of cash. Unfortunately for them, and probably fortunately for me, they end up in the "trash" can

[Gary]

Not had any offering to improve your manhood then ?

[Sy V]

... Perhaps posts from Mods take priority

Get over it!

[Rambo]

Not had any offering to improve your manhood then ?

No - but sounds like you possibly have ? Spill the beans Gary.

[Gary]

Well yes I have, but since I don't need them I just ignore 'em

[rip]

A good rule to follow is to treat any message asking for personal details as highly suspicious.

... Perhaps posts from Mods take priority

Get over it!

Gary, you appear to have a problem about forum moderators.

Why?

[ailwyn]

Gary, you appear to have a problem about forum moderators.

Why?

Gary doesn't have a problem, he just likes to stir things up every now and again. The trick is to just ignore it

[Gary]

Who me

[G UK]

Please note its not just e-mails. Websites can also be spoofed so always check the url when your entering any details to ensure you are in the right place.

Phishing protection is built into most browsers and Security suites nowdays so extra tools arn't generally needed

Also note if BT, Virgin or Talk Talk ever ask you to take part in Webwise which offers Phishing protection DONT SAY YES. Look up Phorm for more details.

[GeoffSmith]

Make sure you read the badphorm info - bad form indeed!:-D

[Rambo]

Sat. evening - time to go out and get phished as a phart

[davidjt]

Probably not new, but the latest one tried on me (last week) was a bogus query from an e-bay 'Buyer' asking why his item hadn't arrived; if the target tries to reply, the link goes to what looks exactly like an e-bay sign-on page and asks for your password. Presumably, your id (& feedback score) is then used to defraud others.

It's quite slick - you're supposed to think the fraud has already happened and want to help clear it up; luckily, my browser is set to log on automatically, so when prompted to actually type in a password, I smelt a rat.
Otherwise I'd have been dealing with a load of very pi**ed off buyers for months.

[Jackonicko]

Some of the Phishing attempts are very crude, poorly worded and with poor spelling and obviously bogus e-addresses but some are much more sophisticated. Some are psychologically tailored to make you want to respond, and play on your natural instincts.

I had one the other day purporting to come from the Abbey National. Had I actually had an account with the Abbey, I'd have been at risk of taking it seriously. I also had phishing e-mails purporting to come from Smile and Lloyds, and from Lloyds TSB this week.

Phishing e-mails will often be addressed to you, but the greeting will be generic ("Dear Customer"/"Dear Sir", etc.). Inevitably the e-mail will warn you about 'security concerns' which may compromise the security of your account. The e-mail may have your bank's logos, and may appear to come from (say) customerservice@lloydstsb.com.

There will often be a link which will direct you to a facsimile of your bank's website, and which will ask you for your login details, account numbers, etc. They may tell you that failure to update your details might result in suspension of your account 'for your protection'!

Don't open these e-mails. Delete them without opening them.
Don't EVER, EVER, EVER open an attachment in such an e-mail.
Don't answer these e-mails.
Don't click on the link.

A typical Phishing e-mail might read:

"Dear Customer,

Lloyds TSB has been receiving complaints from our customers for unauthorised use of the Lloyds TSB Online accounts. As a result we are making an extra security check on all of our Customers account in order to protect their information from theft and fraud.


Due to this, you are requested to follow the provided steps and confirm your Online Banking details for the safety of your Accounts. Please Click Here To Start .


However, Failure to do so may result in temporary account suspension. Please understand that this is a security measure intended to help protect you and your account. We apologize for any inconvenience.


Thanks for your co-operation.


Fraud Prevention Unit
Legal Advisor
Lloyds TSB."


or

"We are committed to protecting you when you bank with us. Our banking services are designed with your security in mind.
For your security, we are sending this email to confirm changes made to your contact information in the Account User Profile. At your request, one or more of the following were changed: Address, Email, Day Phone, Evening Phone, If you did not make this request to change your Account User Profile, Please Click Here to update your NatWest OnLine Banking Accounts Profile."

REMEMBER: No legitimate financial organisation will ever ask you for your details via e-mail or via a direct link.

[tweetdriver63]

The most recent attempt somebody made on me was an email that looked like it came from paypal. It was very, very convincing, right down to the address that showed up when I passed my mouse over the link. The email said my account had been restricted due to some suspicious activity, and provided a link for me to log into my account for more information, and to straighten it out. Being the savvy webmeister that I am, I didn't click the link. I did what you should always do when you get such an email. I closed it. Then I went to my paypal account the normal way. There was, of course, no message regarding any kind of restriction, nor was there any evidence of any unusual activity when I checked the transaction history. I reported the email according to paypal's security instructions, and received an email the next day confirming it was in fact a fraudulent phishing email.

SECURITY TIP: Whenever you get an email from a financial institution that you DO have an account with, don't use the link in the email to access your account, no matter how they try to spin it. Call or email the institution, or log onto your account through your normal internet means to see if there's anything really going on.