What Does A Phishing Scam Look Like

What Does A Phishing Scam Look Like?

Many forms of fraud are on the rise all across the globe.  Most significantly are identity fraud and phishing.  You may ask, "What does a phishing scam look like?"  Unfortunately, it can look quite legitimate and legal.  It takes a sharp eye to be able to distinguish the difference between a real request from a financial institution and one that is defined as phishing. 

There are a few basic ingredients however, that are worth mentioning so that you can avoid the unwanted potential of becoming an identity theft victim.

Most phishing scams come to you through an Internet correspondence, such as email or instant message.  They will ask you to verify your current private information and lead you to a website.  These websites are made to look as close to the real thing as possible. 

At first glance, they appear to be legitimate, but upon closer inspection you can see that they are not from your financial institution.  The best course of action is to not give out any personal information through email or instant message systems.  Verify with your financial institution first, to see if they in fact need you to update their records.

If the Internet communication you receive is asking you to reply immediately or there is an urgency to their email request, it is likely to be a phishing scam.  One way to cut down on the urgent message requests is to download a high quality antispyware software like Windows Defender or AdAware. 

This will help you to avoid any potential unwanted activity by filtering out the bad and only allowing the good to come through.  Many times, the software will catch a scam and you will not even be aware there was a potential threat out there.

Now when a friend or family member asks, "What does a phishing scam look like?" you will have a ready answer.  Generally speaking, if you are being asked to give out personal information through either and email or instant message, be aware. 

If the Internet correspondence guides you to an alternative website to upload your private information, this is a huge red flag and you should not proceed any further.  Always verify with someone at your financial institution what information they may need updated before answering an Internet request.