Protect your personal information–beware phishing attacks:

Phishing is a form of criminal activity using social engineering techniques through email or instant messaging. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire other people’s personal information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an apparently official electronic communication.

There have been recent reports of bank phishing scams with e-mail subject titles:

1. Your account is overdrawn
2. Your account is locked

Banks do not share, or ask, for personal information by e-mail.  Contact your financial institution directly if you have questions about your account.

Beware new health care phishing scams which claim that you need to enter personal, or financial information, into web forms through an e-mail link. 

When in doubt contact your health care insurance company, bank, or other institution by phone or in person to verify there is an issue.

The FBI website reports the following phishing attempts that have become widespread:

07/18/13—The ransomware directs victims to a drive-by download website, at which time it is installed on their computers. Ransomware is used to intimidate victims into paying a fine to “unlock” their computers. Paying the fine does nothing to solve the problem with the computer; do not follow the ransomware instructions. The ransomware has been called “FBI Ransomware” because it uses the FBI’s name.

05/30/13—The FBI has seen an increase in cyber criminals who use online photo-sharing programs to perpetrate scams and harm victims’ computers. These criminals advertise vehicles online but will not provide pictures in the advertisement. They will send photos on request. Sometimes the photo is a single file sent as an e-mail attachment, and sometimes the victim receives a link to an online photo gallery.

Information Courtesy of: http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams