One way to catch a fish is to trick it with bait that looks like food. Phishing on the Web works the same way.
Thieves send authentic-looking e-mail with real organizations' logos, such as Citibank, eBay, or MSN. If you take the bait by clicking or replying to the message, you could lose your money or even be a victim of identity theft!
While early phishing messages were sent indiscriminately in the hope of finding a customer of a given bank or service, recent research shows that phishers may be able to establish what bank a potential victim has a relationship with, and then send an appropriate spoofed e-mail to the victim. Such targeted versions of phishing, when messages contain infromation specific about an orgnaization such as Wayne State University, are called spear phishing.
The C&IT Help Desk is getting many reports about spear phishing from WSU students, faculty, and staff. The e-mail message looks like it comes from "Wayne Webmail support," "Webmail Administrator," "Wayne messaging center," or "THE WAYNE DESK," among other spoofs.The message asks the recipient to forward his or her e-mail password and other personal information.
If the sender of these messages receives the information they need from you, it is possible they can gain access to the organization's entire computer network. Scammers can install malware (malicious software) or spyware, onto your computer after a link is clicked within the message. The spyware can record keystrokes for the scammer so they can obtain passwords to sensitive material or accounts.
What to do if you receive a phishing e-mail:
Don't forget to trust your instincts. If an e-mail message looks suspicious, that probably means it is.
(from MailFrontier, Inc.) – Clear, concise explanations, and visual presentations of sneaky, dangerous phish that may find their way to your computer, along with some suggestions on how you can protect yourself.
