Social Engineering

The world we live in may not be what you think. You may be good at preventing viruses from getting on your computer but you must also make sure you don’t allow a clever thief from stealing all of your money. We receive hundreds of e-mails a day and it is hard to keep up or notice what might be real and what might be fake. You could get an e-mail from your bank and you could get the same exact e-mail from an identity thief. While most identity thievery still takes place by people going through your trash or stealing below, please take note of the steps below to prevent your identity from being stolen from your computer.

Can you tell if this e-mail is fake?

Phishing - That e-mail looks like it is from Bank of America but it is not! If you click any link in this e-mail you may get a virus and worse if you fill out any of your personal information on the fake site that looks like Bank of America’s you will be a victim of identity theft. Phishing spelt with a “ph” is when someone creates a fake e-mail or a fake web site with the hopes that some unsuspecting victim will leave their personal information. Please read the steps that may help to protect your identity.

1. Don’t click links – Don’t click any links in your e-mail. If you know how a hyperlink works, you know why you can’t just click links. A link may not take you to where it says which is why if you get an e-mail from your bank and you think there is an issue, either copy and paste or type the link into your web browser and go from there. Your browser will take you to your bank and not whatever the hyperlink is addressed to.

2. Don’t open any attachments – This is more a virus problem but when you receive an e-mail that says someone sent you pictures with some sort of subject that might apply to you, don’t open the attachment. Many of your friend’s computers may have been taken over and could be used without their knowledge to spam e-mail, which is why you should not open any attachments from friends unless you know they are coming.

3. Don’t fall for the scam - When you get an e-mail telling you someone is willing to pay you money for holding their money, just don’t do it. Sometimes these are easy to catch because you don't belong to the bank or because the English is bad or it might sound crazy but never click the link, never contact the person, and never send any info or money. Another thing to remember when receiving an e-mail from your bank is that your bank will never ask you for personal information through an e-mail.

4. Scams are everywhere – When dealing with e-commerce, you must obey the rules that the service you use gives you. Ebay is rampant with fraud but it does not have affect you. If you get a second chance offer from an item you are bidding on check the item number, check with the original seller. Never send money via western union and be very careful making purchases overseas. Always read all of the rules when using ebay or Paypal before shipping your items.