What is a phishing scam?
Scammers reach out through email exchanges, phone calls
A phishing scam occurs when someone intentionally tricks another person to provide personal and private information about themselves, often through email or telephone exchanges.
Scammers will often pose as a business or person the victim is familiar with and typically even provide a story to convince the person to open an attachment or click a link, according to the Federal Trade Commission. They then use the information they obtain to try to steal victims’ identities or access their bank and credit card accounts.
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This June 19, 2017 file photo shows a person working on a laptop in North Andover, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
Here are some signs of phishing scams, according to the FTC:
- Scammers say they’ve “noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts.”
- Scammers tell you there’s an issue with your payment information or your account.
- Scammers ask you to provide or confirm personal information.
- The message includes a fake invoice.
- Scammers ask you to access a link in order to make a payment.
- Scammers tell you you’re eligible to receive a government refund or you’ve received a coupon.
Many email providers have become sophisticated enough to block users from receiving phishing messages. That said, the FTC urges people to create multi-factor authentication, or “requiring two or more credentials to log in,” to better protect themselves. Certain kinds of software is also available to strengthen phishing securities.
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