Phishing Schemes

Phishing is an e-mail fraud method in which the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking email in an attempt to gather personal and financial information from recipients. Typically, the messages appear to come from well known and trustworthy Web sites. Our local bank was the victim in a recent phishing scandal (TechTarget). Phishing emails typically ask users to click through to a website where they are asked to update personal information that are already on file with the organization that the user has already provided. Examples include passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and/or bank account numbers (Webopedia).

• 6.1 Billion phishing e-mails sent world-wide each month.
• The Federal Trade Commission reports that the average loss to each person successfully phished is $1,200.00.

How savvy are you when it comes to finding phishing emails? Take the IQ test provided by SonicWALL and see how you do!