“Phishermen” get you hook, line and sinker

(NC) – Have you ever received an email that appeared to be from your bank, asking you to fill out personal information such as your Personal Identification Number (PIN) or password, only to find out that it was a copycat website? If so, you were most likely “phished”.

“TD Canada Trust would never ask you for personal or financial information such as your PIN or password by email. If you’re ever unsure about whether or not a website is legitimate, contact us right away,” says Justin Hwang, associate vice president of fraud management for TD Canada Trust.

Phishing is a fraudulent act used to obtain personal or financial information, usually carried out over the internet or by instant messaging. Often, fraudsters who use phishing techniques create bogus websites and links that convince users to offer up desired information. The better the hacker, the more advanced their phishing techniques become which could explain why more people are biting. Some current phishing schemes even use social networking sites to reel in their victims because personal information is so generously distributed on these sites.

Common phishing techniques:

• Copycat banking websites
• Counterfeit links and URLs
• Bogus emails asking for personal information
• Voice messages providing a call-back phone number claiming problems with your bank account and asking you to leave a message with personal and financial information
• Pop-up windows on your legitimate banking site that ask for additional information

More information on fraud prevention can be found online.

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