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WASHINGTON, DC — In sharp
contrast to the harmless pranks that will be played on April
Fools’ Day, deceptive phishing schemes are no laughing matter.
To strike a blow against criminals who prey on Internet users,
the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), National Consumers
League and Microsoft Corp. today urged consumers to beware of
phishing schemes aimed at stealing their identities.
Phishing is a high-tech twist on the
all-too-common crime of identity theft, where spam or pop-up
messages are used to deceive recipients into releasing personal
or financial information into the hands of criminals. The FTC
reports that identity theft was the No. 1 consumer complaint in
2004. And, for the first time, phishing appeared on the top
Internet and telemarketing scams lists gathered by the National
Consumers League in 2004.
Appearing at the National Press Club
in Washington, D.C., Lydia Parnes, acting director of the FTC’s
Bureau of Consumer Protection, Susan Grant, director of the
National Consumers League’s National Fraud Information Center
and Internet Fraud Watch program, and Jacqueline Beauchere and
Aaron Kornblum of Microsoft urged Internet users to exercise the
same caution when doing business online as they would in the
physical world and called for increased consumer awareness of
phishing.
“Computer users can stop phishers by
not responding to an e-mail or pop-up that asks for personal
information,” said Lydia Parnes of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer
Protection. “Just delete it.”
“Phishing is more than a dirty trick
played on unsuspecting consumers – it’s a serious identity theft
problem,” said Grant. “In little over a year it’s become one of
the top scams reported to our National Fraud Information Center
and Internet Fraud Watch program.”
“The Internet has revolutionized the
way we communicate, transact business and educate ourselves,”
said Aaron Kornblum, Internet Safety Enforcement attorney at
Microsoft. “We must work together to stop these con artists from
misusing the Internet as a tool for fraud.
Microsoft provides consumers with the information and technology
that will help protect all of us from this pervasive and
destructive threat, and has filed legal action today against
some of these individuals.”
Kornblum announced that Microsoft is
filing 117 lawsuits against alleged phishers as part of its
commitment to protecting consumers against phishing and other
cybercrime. The company is filing the lawsuits today in the U.S.
District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle
against John Doe defendants.
Through today’s sweep of John Doe
lawsuits, Microsoft’s legal team hopes to establish connections
between phishing scams worldwide and uncover the largest-volume
operators.
Internet users should follow these
simple steps to avoid phishing scams:
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Be suspicious if someone
contacts you unexpectedly and asks for your personal
information. It’s hard to tell whether something is
legitimate by looking at an e-mail or a Web site, or talking
to someone on the phone. But if you’re contacted out of the
blue and asked for your personal information, it’s a warning
sign that something is “phishy.” Most legitimate companies
and agencies don’t operate that way.
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Don’t click on a link in an e-mail
message that asks for your personal information. It may take
you to a phony Web site that looks just like the Web site of the
real company or government agency. Following the instructions,
you enter your personal information on the Web site — and into
the hands of identity thieves. To check whether the message is
really from the company or agency, call it directly or go to the
company’s Web site. If you don’t have the telephone number, get
it from the phone book, the Internet or directory assistance.
Use a search engine to find the official Web site.
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If
someone contacts you and says you’ve been a victim of fraud,
verify the person’s identity before you provide any personal
information.
Legitimate credit card issuers and other companies may contact
you if there is an unusual pattern indicating that someone else
might be using one of your accounts. But usually they only ask
if you made particular transactions; they don’t request your
account number or other personal information. Law enforcement
agencies might also contact you if you’ve been the victim of
fraud. To be on the safe side, ask for the person’s name, the
name of the agency or company, the telephone number, and the
address. Then get the main number (see tip above) and call to
find out if the person is legitimate.
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