Important Notice:
Learning to Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent
e-mails
Related Links
Tip
To see updated examples of popular phishing scams or to
report a possible phishing scam, visit the
Anti-Phishing Working Group
Archive.
Phishing is a type of deception designed to steal your
valuable personal data, such as credit card numbers,
passwords, account data, or other information.
Con artists might send millions of fraudulent e-mail
messages that appear to come from Web sites you trust,
like your bank or credit card company, and request that
you provide personal information.

What does a phishing scam look like?
As scam artists become more sophisticated, so do their
phishing e-mail messages and pop-up windows.
They often include official-looking logos from real
organizations and other identifying information taken
directly from legitimate Web sites.
To make these e-mail messages look even more legitimate,
the scam artists may place a link in them that appears
to go to the legitimate Web site (1), but it actually
takes you to a phony scam site (2) or possibly a pop-up
window that looks exactly like the official site.
These copycat sites are also called "spoofed" Web sites.
Once you're at one of these spoofed sites, you might
unwittingly send personal information to the con
artists.

How to tell if an e-mail message is fraudulent
Here are a few phrases to look for if you think an
e-mail message is a phishing scam.
"Verify your account."
Businesses should not ask you to send passwords, login
names, Social Security numbers, or other personal
information through e-mail.
If you receive an e-mail from Microsoft asking you to
update your credit card information, do not respond:
this phishing scam. To learn more, read
Fraudulent e-mail that requests
credit card information.
"If you don't respond within 48 hours, your account will
be closed."
These messages convey a sense of urgency so that you'll
respond immediately without thinking. Phishing e-mail
might even claim that your response is required because
your account might have been compromised.
"Dear Valued Customer."
Phishing e-mail messages are usually sent out in bulk
and often do not contain your first or last name.
"Click the link below to gain access to your account."
HTML-formatted messages can contain links or forms that
you can fill out just as you'd fill out a form on a Web
site.
The links that you are urged to click may contain all or
part of a real company's name and are usually "masked,"
meaning that the link you see does not take you to that
address but somewhere different, usually a phony Web
site.
Use the latest products and services to help warn and
protect you from online scams
|
• |
Install the
Microsoft Phishing Filter using
Internet Explorer 7
or
Windows Live Toolbar
. Phishing Filter helps protect
you from Web fraud and the risks of personal
data theft by warning or blocking you from
reported phishing Web sites.
Learn more about how
to get Phishing Filter . |
|
• |
Install
up-to-date antivirus and antispyware
software . Some phishing e-mail
contains malicious or unwanted software that
can track your activities or simply slow
your computer. Try new antivirus and
comprehensive computer health services like
Windows Live OneCare.
To help prevent spyware or other unwanted
software, download
Windows Defender |
To learn more, read
How to handle suspicious e-mail.
If you believe you may have already provided personal or
financial information in response to an e-mail message,
read
What to do if you've responded to
a phishing scam.
|