BSP Warns Public Vs Phishing

(PNA) — The onset of technological innovations has helped people by making some tasks easier.

However, it has also enabled scammers to get peoples’ personal details without permission.

One such scam is phishing, which is a form of identity theft that stole persons’ personal details to commit crimes or conduct unauthorized transactions.

The BSP said once individuals involved in this illegal activity secures a person’s personal details “it becomes possible for them to withdraw money or purchase items under your name, open a new bank or credit card account, use your present account to illegally deal with other people, or encash checks in your behalf.”

It also explained that individuals involved in this practice may also install computer virus or worms or embed these in your electronic mail ( e-mail) account, which in turn also affects your contacts.

Normally, these messages, when you click it, would connect you to a fake website.

These spoofed websites would ask you to input your personal and financial information like user IDs, passwords and account and personal information, the BSP explained.

Other modes for this practice are through chat rooms, text messages, electronic fake banner advertisements or message boards, fake mailing lists, fake job search sites and job offers and fake browser toolbars.

Thus, the central bank urged the public to be wary of their online activities and transactions.

Since e-mail accounts are among the mode for this kind of illegal activity, the BSP advised people not to open suspicious e-mails and ignore these.

“Do not click any link in a suspicious message. Do not give personal and financial information requested through e-mail,” it said.

“Instead call your bank and send a letter to verify if such e-mail request is real,” it said.

“If you think you have given out information to a phisher, report the incident immediately to the company that is spoofed,” it added. (PNA) CTB/JS/EDS