Today's Word:Phishing


I have received several email from service@paypal.com with concerning contents; the first few were asking me to update my acount information by following the provided link. When I clicked on it took me to an exact replica of paypal website asking to login. Subsequent emails from the same source were warning emails claiming that someone tried to have unautherized access to my credit card account registered with paypal and ask me to verify account information to prevent future an autherized access by following the link provided. Again, when I clicked it took me to an exact replica to the credit card website with login page. A third group of emails from the same source claimed that my paypal account was flagged to increase security features and again I need to act quickly and verify/submit my bank account and credit card information to the link provided..
One last one I received from the same source telling me that an email account was added to my paypal account and I need to verify that it belongs to me and the email address was provided, again with a link to what looks exactly like the paypal website..

I does not take a genious to suspect that something is fishy! and smells bad!
I have followed these links provided with my firewall on and never logged on or submitted any personal information to these websites. I called my credit card to make sure that no unautherized trasactions have taken place, I called paypal and as expected they sent me not a single email. The first thing I did was to change my password to a supper password that even I would not figure it out 2 days from now!

These are called phishing emails. And basicaly they trick you to provide them with information that enable them to steal your identity and your money. I thought initially "fishing" emails since I am currently planning my fishing trips for the summer but I was wrong. I learned something new..this time from
www.dictionary.com :
Phishing
A method of identity theft carried out through the creation of a website that seems to represent a legitimate company. The visitors to the site, thinking they are buying something from a real business, submit their personal information to the site. The criminals then use the personal information for their own purposes, or sell the information to other criminal parties.

So be careful..and don't learn the hardway

My regards