豆知识 2009-05-31&06-06 谨防网络钓鱼术

 You’ve probably seen it. You receive an email from your bank or trusted company, and it’s asking you for information. It looks real, but it’s designed to fool you into handing over important information. This is a scam called phishing. And you need to avoid it. This is “Phishing Scams In Plain English”. 

 

Most of us have gotten used to doing business online. We buy and sell things. We have accounts with sensitive information. The risk of doing business online is low as long as you deal directly with organizations you trust. Problems occur, when criminals impersonate these organizations and fool you into handing over sensitive information like account numbers, passwords and PIN numbers. 

 

The key to avoiding the scam is awareness¹. Here’s one example. You receive an email that looks like a trustworthy message from a bank. It asks you to click a link to verify information. You assume it’s legit, so you click the link and log in to what appears to be your bank’s website. At this point, the scam is complete. You’ve handed over your bank password to the crooks² who can use it to take your money. Boo! They were able to fool you by impersonating the bank’s website. 

 

There are a few keys to detecting phishing emails. They often try to scare you by saying your account has been accessed or security has been compromised. They also insist you click a link to verify information or fill out a form. Do not click links or fill out forms in suspicious emails. The email may also have misspellings, and call you something like “valued customer”. The crooks don’t know your name. 

 

Remember, phishing emails may use the exact same logos, phone numbers and addresses that appear on your statements or bills. Always be suspicious of an email that asks for your information. No exceptions! 

 

If you receive a phishing email, stay calm. There is no risk to receiving it. Just delete it. You can also safely report it by forwarding it to [email protected] or [email protected]. If an email does lead you to a suspicious website, remember to look at the web address. The address in your browser³ should look familiar. If you suspect that criminals have your information, immediately contact organizations where you have accounts. 

 

To protect yourself in the long run, you might also consider anti-phishing software. Further, check your online accounts and credit reports regularly, and quickly report anything that is out of place. 

 

Phishing scams are a growing threat on the Internet. By being aware of the scam, you can feel confident in working with companies online. Yay!

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 crooks   

n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The police are getting after the crooks in the city. 警察在城里追捕小偷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cops got the crooks. 警察捉到了那些罪犯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。