Study: 1 in 4 targeted in phishing scams

[WN-Ali]

I thought I should share this with everyone as it is very important and we face this situation in our daily lives. We should all try to inform everyone we know about these kinds of situation so they do not become a victim of these scams.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- About one in four Internet users are hit with e-mail scams every month that try to lure sensitive personal information from unsuspecting consumers, a study says.

Of those receiving the phony e-mails, most thought they might be from legitimate companies -- seven in 10, or 70 percent, were fooled by the e-mails, said the report.

The study released Wednesday by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance looked at Internet security and "phishing scams."

Phishing refers to e-mails that appear to come from banks or other trusted businesses and are used to induce recipients to verify their accounts by typing personal details, such as credit card information, into a Web site disguised to appear legitimate.

"What's happening is that more and more people are actually engaging in transactions online that would generate e-mail traffic that the scammers are copycatting," said Tatiana Platt, senior vice president at AOL, which is a unit of New York-based Time Warner. CNN.com is also a unit of Time Warner.

The Federal Trade Commission has several tips to keep from getting hooked by phishers:

• If you get an e-mail asking for personal information, call the company directly or type in the company's correct Web address. Do not click on the link provided in the e-mail.
  
• Use antivirus software and a firewall. This can protect a user from accepting unwanted files that could harm a computer or track a consumer's Internet activities.
  
• Don't e-mail personal or financial information.

Read full article at http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/interne....ap/index.html