Phishing is when a scam artist steals your personal information and uses it make money. There are two ways scammers do this. First, they use malware to steal the information from your computer. Second, they use something known as social engineering to convince you to give up your personal information willingly. Both of these types of scams can best be recognized by learning how they work and where they lurk. They can also be avoided with a few simple tactics.

Malicious Software Phishing

The first type of phishing can happen without your knowledge. The malicious software enters your computer, logs your personal information and sends it back to the hacker.

The best way to foil this type of scam is to install anti-virus software that protects computers against phishing. Keep your anti-virus "automatic updating" option on so that it can consistently protect your computer from new threats.

Here are some other ways to keep your computer safe from this threat while online:

    Don't open links from people you don't know or from websites you don't know. A Facebook friend could be passing on a malicious link without knowing it. Security software that scans links is a good defense.
    Avoid emails or chat sessions from people you don't know.
    Delete files from people you don't know. Make sure not to open the files before you delete them.
    Turn on your computer's firewall to block outside intrusions.
    Avoid websites that are notorious for spreading malicious programs, such as adult websites, gambling sites and high-pressure sales pages. All of these sites may download a malicious program to your computer without your knowledge.

Social Engineering Phishing

In the world of computer security, social engineering refers to the use of trickery to manipulate victims. When it comes to phishing scams, social engineering is a way to manipulate the victim into providing the scammer with information. One of the easiest ways to recognize this type of scam is by learning about the scammer's tactics.

For example, one of the most popular uses of social engineering for phishing is the Lottery Email Scam. The victim receives an email stating that they've won a large amount of money. The email instructs the recipient to reply to the email with their name and a bank number where the money can be wired. Often, the email features contact information for a business from another country, poor spelling and grammar and a block-like font. These clues should be tip-offs that an email is a phishing scam.

Some other things to look for:

    The sender threatens to close your account if you don't reply. Most businesses don't work this way.
    The sender asks you to wire money, and you don't know the person.
    The sender includes links to websites that list a legitimate address, but when you hover over the link, you see that the actual destination site is different.

Recognizing a phishing scam may not always be easy, but if you know where they lurk and what their tricks are, you can easily avoid them.





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