Phishing is the name given to an increasingly common type of spam (unsolicited emails) designed to obtain personal information such as credit card numbers and banking details.
Phishers send emails which seem to come from a real website such as a bank, ISP, PayPal, or credit card issuer. The recipient of the email is then asked to click a link within the message which takes them to a page asking them to enter Personal and account details into the page. Even simply clicking on the link can expose you to malware! If you accidentally clicked on a link and are in panic mode, calm down and close the session. Make sure that both your downloads and recycling bin are emptied of recent files, and run a malware scanner as soon as possible.
You can help protect yourself by following some simple rules:
* Do not interact with emails that ask for your personal financial information. Your bank will never ask you for personal information by email.
* When doing online banking, ensure that they are the official website by checking the certificate provided on the webpage. The 's' in https:// websites means that a certification authority (CA) has authorized their website certification.
* Keep a regular check on your accounts and immediately report any suspicious transactions.
* Always report suspicious activity to the police or the company named in the email.
Further details about Phishing can be found at http://antivirus.about.com/od/emailscams/ss/phishing.htm.
