To all,
I received this earlier today, from my employer, Fluor, which is the parent company of Fluor IT. Most of us know about it, but if you're like me, I never knew it had a name, Phishing. I've gotten the fake e-mails from Citibank and PayPal, knew they were fake, never had accounts with them.
Read below.
JR
Fluor IT Security Warns: Beware of Phishing
Fluor Information Technology (IT) Security is warning users of Fluor's email system about a type of email known as "phishing."
Phishing (pronounced fishing) is the act of sending an email and claiming to be a legitimate company, while attempting to access personal information about the user.
Phishing emails direct the user to click a link to visit a website that appears to belong to a reputable company, such as Citibank or PayPal, and may even include the company's logos and other trademarks. The phisher website, however, is counterfeit and is set up only to steal the user's personal information.
An example of a phishing email would be one that notifies the user that their password needs to be reset or that the user needs to login to read an important message. If the user clicks on the link in the email, he or she is taken to the phisher website. The phisher website may prompt the user to provide or update personal information such as account numbers, passwords, credit card or social security information. The phisher website may also prompt the user to login, in an attempt to steal the user's login ID and password.
Since many legitimate companies send emails asking users to click on links to sign up for promotions or to view online statements, it is difficult to differentiate between a legitimate email and a phishing email. The best way to protect personal information is to not use the links included in emails. Instead, open a separate browser window and type the company's web address directly into the browser. This will ensure that the website being logged into is legitimate and one where the user can securely sign up for promotions, view online statements and perform other tasks.
For more information on phishing, visit these links:
http://www.fdnet.com/security/blog030104.htm
http://www.fdnet.com/security/blog040504.htm
