What is phishing?
Phishing is a form of fraud that uses email messages with phony addresses, websites or pop-up windows to gather your personal information, which can then be used for identity theft.
Phishers circulate emails with legitimate-looking logos and design styles and may link to websites that also look legitimate.
For example, a phisher might send an email asking you to update your Bell billing details to keep your account active. The email will ask you to click on a link taking you to a website that looks like Bell’s, where you’ll be asked for your login and account details.
Or, the email may say you have a computer problem and need to click on or open an attachment to solve it. But if you click on it, you could install something damaging to your computer, or trigger your computer to send your personal information to the phisher.
Phishing can also be in the form of those emails offering money for work-at-home jobs, or asking for help with frozen bank accounts, or offering discounted pharmaceuticals, trips, etc.
How to protect yourself
Here are some clues that you’ve been sent a phishing email:
- Requests for new personal information, or information that the company should already have
- Logos that don’t look right or bad spelling and grammar
- Promises of large sums of money if you invest a small amount to help collect it
- Work-at-home offers, business opportunities, make-money-fast schemes, credit offers and chain letter schemes
Think before you click.
- Be realistic; if it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.
- Don’t respond to requests for personal information such as your bank account number in an email.
- Be wary of alarmist, seemingly urgent messages, slightly altered web or email addresses and emails with spelling and grammar mistakes.
- Don’t forward virus warnings that come with "send this to everyone you know" requests, even if they appear to come from a credible source. These messages are hoaxes, and if they include any links or attachments, they can be dangerous to yours and your friends’ computers.
- Be aware of the communication policies of the companies you use and what types of messages they will send. For example, McAfee Security from Bell is included with all Bell Internet packages, and has several components that can help protect you from fraud.
Bell McAfee® Security from Bell is included with all Bell Internet packages, and has several components that can help protect you from fraud.
Download and install McAfee Security from Bell now.