DATE: 4/18/05

CONTACT: Nancy Porter, (864) 656-5718

WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343, ext. 241

Watch out for scammers ‘phishing’ for your money

CLEMSON – Don’t get hooked if you get an e-mail message, supposedly from your bank, warning that someone may have had unauthorized access to your checking account and you need to send vital information to repair the problem.

“This is called ‘phishing,’” warns Nancy Porter, Clemson Extension family resource management specialist. It’s a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive consumers into disclosing information such as credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers or passwords.

Porter says that phishers will claim to be some business or organization that you deal with. Besides your bank, it could be an internet service provider, online payment service or even a government agency.

“They may even threaten dire consequences if you do not respond,” she says. The message will direct you to a Web site that may look legitimate, but isn’t.

“If you fall for the bait, the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name,” says Porter. “Remember! Legitimate companies do not request this kind of information by e-mail.”

Never reply or click on any links in such messages. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization in the e-mail using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company’s correct Web address. Don’t cut and paste the link in the message.

Porter says that anyone who initiates a transaction on the Internet, such as a purchase of goods, should look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser status bar or a URL for a website that begins “ https:” The “s” stands for “secure.”

She also recommends that consumers protect their computers with anti-virus software and a firewall, which helps make a computer invisible on the Internet, blocking all communications from unauthorized sources. A firewall is especially important for broadband connections.

It’s also a good idea to report suspicious activity to the FTC. If you get spam that is phishing for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov. If you believe you’ve been scammed, file a complaint at www.ftc.gov, then visit the FTC’s Identity Theft Website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft to learn how to minimize your risk from ID theft.

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