Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent email messages supposedly from a legitimate company or organization in order to trick someone into giving out personal and confidential information. This information could include a user ID, password, credit card number or even a Social Security number. At its most basic level, Phishing is a form of identity theft. It is one of the fastest growing cyber crimes, and there are estimates that 1 in 20 people who receive a Phishing email will respond to it with their personal information. Since the criminals who send out these Phishing messages are good at what they do, its important to be able to recognize a Phishing email so you wont respond to their request and become a victim of identity theft. Here are a few signs that the message you have received might just be a Phishing expedition.
The email message is generic. Phishing emails are sent out in bulk to thousands of people, so youll see a generic greeting like Dear Valued Customer and not directly addressed to you by name.
The message gives a false sense of urgency. Phishing emails are developed and designed specifically to push the recipient to immediate action....