© S.Zelov



So you might have heard the term "phishing" floating around. Its not at all about scaly creatures who live under water (though the some think scammers are cold-blooded). It does have a bit to do with bait and catch though.

Phishing with a "ph" is a form of internet scamming used to steal your information. Wikipedia notes that its criminally fraudulent activity. A phishing scam consists of 4 major parts:

1. It accesses you through a social channel (email, IM, facebook or twitter)
2. The scam claims to be from an authoritative source. (your bank, the website administrator, etc.)
3. It contains a link that takes you to another website. This link make take you to a page that looks identical to the site it is mimicking.
4. It asks for personal information. Here's the clincher. Now it wants your address, your bank account, your password, whatever the scammer wants from you.

So how do you know if someone is phishing for you? If you don't want scammers to catch your information, you need to recognize the bait. Some phishing scam are easy to spot. They claim things like: "Click here to get your prize!" "We're the IRS" (trust me, they don't email) or "you won the lottery". Some other tips:

1. Double check anyone asking for information. Contact your site or call their customer service, just to be sure.
2. Report emails you think are scams.
3. Stay away from pop-ups connected to links from emails.
4. Do your research. Big phishing scams often hit the news. Stay aware of what's going on online.

Do you have any advice for others about staying safe online?