How to Know If You’re a Victim of a Phishing Attack

The dread of phishing. It is a crime and sign of the times. If you have ever fallen victim to a phishing scam or phishing attack, you can probably agree that it is annoying and quite frustrating. It is a cowardly and faceless crime that preys on elderly and unsuspecting individuals, but it can just as easily happen to those who are Internet and computer savvy. One slip-up, and your information could be in the hands of someone else, who will use it for their financial gain and your financial loss.

The only way to prevent a phishing attack is to be prepared by educating yourself, and offering your computer the proper protection.

What is a Phishing Attack?

Like so many computer terms, phishing is a clever play on words. Phishing is an illegal attempt to gain access to an individual’s sensitive information, whether user name and password information, banking information or account numbers and personal information such as a social security number. These criminals “fish” for the information, luring unsuspecting individuals into their schemes and scams by posing as a legitimate or secure entity.

Most often, phishing attacks are presented through email contact and instant messaging. Scams can range from posing as a government agency, such as the IRS, posing as a bank or site resetting your password, or sending a bogus letter claiming that you’re the winner of some contest or international lottery. In recent years, the email from fictitious, persecuted individuals looking to hide their private fortune in American bank accounts has been increasingly popular and taken people for thousands upon thousands of dollars.

All of these types of scams and attacks are considered phishing, and they’re pretty easy to spot. Other phishing attacks can be found through websites, and they’re the ones that can really nail you if you don’t have the proper computer protection.

How to Know if You’re a Victim of Phishing

Oftentimes, you’ll find out you’re the victim of a phishing attack, because you’ll get a call from a credit card company alerting you to suspicious account activity. At that point, it’s too late. The only thing you can do is retrace your steps, take a look at your Internet browsing history and see if there was some way someone could have hacked an account, or if you perhaps visited a site that is known to “phish” for information. The only way to find out is to do a bit of research.

If you responded to an email or instant message from a stranger, and offered any kind of information relating to your personage, you may have told them all they need to know. This is true for revealing birthdays, passwords, social security numbers or a home address. This information should never be divulged online unless the site is secure, and/or you’re dealing with someone you know. No banking institution or government office will ask for that information via online correspondence.

Ultimately, if you think you may be the victim of a phishing attack, you need to protect yourself immediately. Change your passwords, alert your creditors, your banks and take a look at all of your online accounts. Especially if you’re an avid user of Ebay, or another online auction site. Allowing your account providers to know that your information may have been compromised will mean that they can hold funds and help protect you through the reissue of cards and account numbers.