A Pointed (and Painful) Approach to Identity Theft
We all exert caution in our daily dealings to protect ourselves from identity theft, but a new variant of phishing is targeting corporate executives. Small business owners should be aware of this threat.
Phishing, the use of fraudulent emails to gain access to personal information for identity theft, has become more sophisticated. Rather than cast a wide net by baiting many targets at once and hoping that someone will “bite”, scam artists have begun to send carefully customized, personalized emails to one person at a time. There is a new trend of targeting corporate executives and business owners rather than consumers.
Like their counterparts, spear phishing emails can contain personal information, such as a name, and they often include a link to a “spoofed” or fake website that requests personal information. These spoof sites have become much more sophisticated and authentic in appearance. Once an unsuspecting person clicks on a link provided, the “spear” has found its target. Since the links lead to compromised sites that look legitimate, it can be difficult for someone to ascertain that they are actually being directed to a harmful site.
Evaluate your personal email carefully. Never open attachments from a stranger, and never click through a link in a suspect email.