If it smells phishy…tips to avoid phishing scams

Security

February 19, 2020

Online security can be an intimidating subject for most of us. The good news is there are some basic, easy steps you can take to increase your level of online security. CenturyLink knows a lot about keeping information secure. Here are some helpful online security practices to protect yourself from an increasingly popular and dangerous threat – phishing.

Why is it spelled that way?

Phishing, spelled with a “ph”, was coined around 1996 by hackers who commonly replaced the letter “f” with “ph”, a nod to the original form of hacking known as phone phreaking. Phishing is a fast-growing form of internet fraud. It’s a criminal activity that uses e-mail or instant messaging to get your personal information such as your Social Security number, user IDs and passwords. The concept behind phishing involves pretending to be a business you’re familiar with to lure you into revealing sensitive information.

How do they lure you in?

An e-mail message may include text urgently asking you to “verify your account” or “confirm billing information,” but contains malicious links to another website. Once you have clicked on the link or supplied personal information, the phisher has access to your accounts. Once the phisher has access to this information, your chances of becoming a victim of identity theft triple.

A phishing phone call may appear to be from a familiar source, a highly recognizable business or a survey conductor attempting to gain personal and financial information.

If a phone call is suspected as a scam, hang up without offering personal information. If you get an email that you think may be a scam, consider installing filtering software and forwarding the message to the actual organization. CenturyLink customers can take advantage of the company’s filtering software and forward emails to abuse@centurylinkservices.net.

Don’t get caught – follow these tips to stay safe:

Avoid responding to spam asking for personal information.
Be wary of e-mails that contain links to websites.
If a phone call is suspected as a scam, hang up without offering personal information.
Never fill out a form in an e-mail asking for personal information.
Only use secure online websites for online transactions (look for a lock near the url).
Promptly review bank statements and credit card statements for accuracy of charges.
Make sure you review your credit report on a yearly basis – if not more often.