Don’t get scammed. Get Iconix.
Dear PayPal Customer,
This is to inform you that PayPal is in the process of upgrading its data servers, and needs your cooperation in the seamless transfer of your confidential data to our new super-secure data center.
We would like to verify your data before we begin this process. Please understand, we are doing this to ensure that our new servers receive all your up to date information, and there is no unwanted glitch the next time you use our services.
To verify your data, please click on the link below, and proceed to enter the requested information in the secure web form.
RANDOM LINK
Thank you for your cooperation.
Warm Regards,
PayPal Data Management Team
How many of such mails do you have in your mailbox as of this moment? It doesn’t have to be from the “PayPal Data Management Team”. It could very well be from the friendly account manager at “Natwest Bank”, or from your insurance agent at ICICI Prudential.
How many times have your reaction to such mails have been: “Huh! Now do I have an account with Natwest Bank?” If, after asking this question to yourself, you decide that the answer is “No”, then you are safe for now. But what about those who DO have an account with this bank?
Approximately 65% of the recipients of such email recipients are actually said to have followed the emailed instructions one time or the other. They decided to believe the official looking mail with the bank’s (or PayPal’s) logo and brand colors, and click the link. Some acted out of ignorance, while some acted out of a moment of distraction.
The result—the loss of valuable personal data that can be used to ruin a person’s life.
Why?
Because these emails do not really come from PayPal or from your bank or insurance agent. These emails are commonly known as “Phishing baits”, where one or more technically savvy crook(s) design an email template resembling an email that would look like it comes from your bank, or your agent, or PayPal.
They add a link to that email asking you to click on it and provide the requested information. Once you click on the link, you will be taken to a web page that looks exactly like a page on your bank etc’s website. In reality, this page is a fake, designed by the crooks who sent you the email.
The page requests you to enter certain information. It could range from your name, age, email ID, date of birth to social security number, bank account number, your bank or paypal password, credit card authorization number, and much more.
Once you submit this data, you make yourself vulnerable to all sorts of fraud, ransom, and other financial hazards. Now that’s a life ruined. Isn’t it?
How can I save myself from getting defrauded this way?
The basic precaution is to be very careful about the mails you read. Check who the sender is, and whether there is a link in the email. Do not click on a link until you are sure what you are doing. Remember, your bank or PayPal will never ask for sensitive personal information online. If you are unsure, it is always better you call up your bank and inquire about the email.
Is there any way to know for SURE?
Yes, there is. While doing our research on phishing, we came across this very useful tool called ICONIX. Once you have downloaded and installed this program on your computer, it starts adding visual identity to your emails.
That is, whenever you receive an email from a known organization that might possess your personal information (PayPal, Amazon, EBay, your bank, your email provider’s support desk etc) ICONIX flashes a little icon next to that particular email. This is called the Truemark® icon. When you roll your cursor over the icon, a little message pops up to provide you more information about the email. Among other things, it confirms the sending domain of the email.
Note, if an email says that it has been sent by Amazon.com, but the sending domain is different, then that email is not authentic.
In their website, ICONIX claims to carry out this identification using a three-step process.
1. Authentication - The program uses technologies like domain keys, and sender ID (backed by companies like Yahoo!, Microsoft, and Cisco) to verify the authenticity of the email.
2. Identification - The email sender is checked against a list of registered senders with ICONIX
3. Display - Once the email is verified as authentic, the program displays the TrueMark® icon and certificate next to the email.
Things you should know about ICONIX
- It works with:
- AOL and AIM Webmail
- Earthlink
- Gmail
- MSN Hotmail
- Outlook 2003
- Outlook 2007
- Outlook Express 6.0
- Windows Live Hotmail
- Yahoo! Mail
- AT&T Yahoo! Mail
- ICONIX is FREE
You can download it from HERE.
[...] Asyan • May 3, 2008 In our last article, we told you how a simple free software can save you from getting scammed on the Internet. We understand that not all of you are comfortable with downloading and installing [...]