Security Reminder

[richardljohnson]

I wanted to remind everyone that there is a new round of Phishing
e-mails going around. I got one today from PAYPAL requesting I go to a
site listed/linked in the e-mail and confirm all my account information.
Knowing that this is not the way they do business I reported it to
PAYPAL and I thought I'd remind others that there are some 'bad people'
out there.

Remember that no financial institution will send you an e-mail with a
web site link requesting you go to this site to verify or update
information. There may be a case where you can receive an e-mail warning
of a possible compromise of an account BUT the will refer you to your
local institution or an 800 number which is easy to verify.

The golden rules is "trust no one and verify everything!"

If you are EVER in question most financial web sites will list contact
information (go there directly and NEVER through a web link in the
e-mil, telephone numbers and information on how to check your account
directly and MAKE SURE IT IS A SECURE SERVER LINK!!! (look for the LOCK
somewhere on the page bottom.

OK, so much for me and the soap box but I wanted to remind everyone,
especially with the rash of problems around.

Richard-

[Blu (Ontario)]

Great advice!
We secure ourselves behind virus filters and firewalls, and sometimes forget that that the "dark side" of the internet is out there in cyberspace ever vigilant and just waiting to take advantage of a lapse in judgement.

Thanx for the post.

blu

[Kilts_Knave]

I do 95% of my banking Online and I NEVER respond to any Emails from any of my creditors because of phishing. I don't even open these Emails. This is a good practice. I figure if they need me to "update" anything I would not be allowed to log on to an account in the first place.

[Jerry]

I wanted to remind everyone that there is a new round of Phishing
e-mails going around. I got one today from PAYPAL requesting I go to a
site listed/linked in the e-mail and confirm all my account information.
Knowing that this is not the way they do business I reported it to
PAYPAL and I thought I'd remind others that there are some 'bad people'
out there.

Remember that no financial institution will send you an e-mail with a
web site link requesting you go to this site to verify or update
information. There may be a case where you can receive an e-mail warning
of a possible compromise of an account BUT the will refer you to your
local institution or an 800 number which is easy to verify.

The golden rules is "trust no one and verify everything!"

If you are EVER in question most financial web sites will list contact
information (go there directly and NEVER through a web link in the
e-mil, telephone numbers and information on how to check your account
directly and MAKE SURE IT IS A SECURE SERVER LINK!!! (look for the LOCK
somewhere on the page bottom.

OK, so much for me and the soap box but I wanted to remind everyone,
especially with the rash of problems around.

Richard-

I've been getting quite a few of those "from paypal", and I haven't answered any of them. However, the last time I tyried to use my paypal account I found that it no longer worked.

[GMan]

I am on the board of a social club here in Denver, and we do have an e-mail address so people can contact us. I am the one who takes care of it and answers questions and the like. Daily I get things from financial institutions telling us that are account is in error, non from where we have an account. "Paypal" has been sending at least three a day to confirm our "account", and they are all right after each other, a dead give away.

Thanks to you Richard for bringing it to the forefront.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

I thought I would post a slight twist to the Paypal emails. My wife and I sell items on eBay on a semi-regular basis, but we use the same PayPal account to accept payments. As such, I am never completely aware of exactly what she has sold and what funds she is expecting. Anyway, the other day I received an email from Paypal saying that so and so had sent us $43.12. My wife not being home, I clicked on the link in the email to review the transaction, and so I could record it (I track our PayPal account in MS Money just like a checking account). Usually, I would check the link before clicking it to insure it was going to Paypal, but was really convinced that it was a valid email so just clicked the link in the email. Got to "PayPal's" website and logged in with user ID and password. After clicking login, I was taken to another (real) PayPal web page and got a message stating that the page I was trying to access was for Paypal members only and to login or register! At that point, alarm bells are going off all over my mind. I quickly went back to the email and checked the link and it was a fake one to some hackers website, and he now had my Paypal user ID and password. Not a fun thought. I immediately opened a new browser, typed in PayPal's site and changed my password. No damage done because I moved quickly, but could have been a disaster. My only point is that is was NOT a request to confirm my acount info and lured me in. Watch carefully!

RJI

[Freelander Sporrano]

I got one of thoose letters too.
I sent it direct to Paypals Spoof mail link on their site . I got an e-mail back saying that they (Pay pal never send e-mails out ...so be careful

[Sherry]

I forward such emails to spoof@paypal.com or spoof@ebay.com , as appropriate. Maybe they can track down the jerks who do this.

Sherry