Protect Yourself or a Friend from Phishing & Fraud

I have published quite a few posts on phishing since starting this blog. If you are a regular reader, you may have seen some of the previous posts and think to yourself, ok, nothing new here. Wait, please. Before you move on to another website, please

Think about your favorite aunt or the nice gentleman who lives next door. Has anyone explained to them about phishing? Perhaps not.

or consider

Are you the "family computer fixer"? You know who you are -- the person in the family that all the cousins, nieces and nephews call when they are having a problem with their computer. Do they understand phishing? Perhaps not.

Don't take a chance that your family or friends might fall for a phish and suffer possible financial loss and/or identity theft. Explain to them how serious the problem has become as well as how clever the phishers are these days.

Microsoft published a series of articles, individually linked below, on how to protect yourself from phishing and fraud. Use the information there to educate your family and friends and to refresh your own knowledge. If you volunteer at a community center or youth group consider making a presentation on phishing. You could show the FTC videos on phishing on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/ftcvideos

How to help avoid phishing scams

• Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent e-mails
• Social engineering
• Phishing FAQ

How to recognize a phishing scam

• The "Microsoft Lottery"
• Typo-squatting
• Spear phishing
• Advance fee fraud (also known as the Nigerian or 419 scam)
• Fraudulent e-mail to that appears to come from Microsoft

Use technology to protect yourself from phishing and fraud

• Phishing Filter: Help protect yourself from online scams
• What to do if you've responded to a phishing scam
• How to handle suspicious e-mail

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...