Learn what search engine phishing is and how to prevent it
Most computer savvy people know about phishing, how it
steals identities and wreaks havoc with your personal finances and credit
ratings. To prevent phishing, it pays to know the different types. Search
engine phishing is one of the most commonly used types of phishing. Learn what
it is and how to prevent it.
Search Engine
Phishing
With search engine phishing scams, phishers create web pages
for fake products. After search engines index the web page, they sit and
patiently wait for unsuspecting customers to enter their confidential
information as part of an order, sign-up, or balance transfer.
One tactic these sites use to get customers to sign up or
make these purchases in an almost too good to be true price. This happens often
with fraudulent banks. The website creates a page that advertises an interest
rate slightly higher than any real banks. Victims, anxious to get this great
interest rate, enter their bank account information for a balance transfer to
their new account. Unfortunately, their new account doesn't really exist. They
just became involved in a phishing scam and sending their money to a thief.
When you aren't the victim, it's easy to sit back and ask why
anyone would fall for these tactics. The truth is, it happens all the time.
Victims anxious to get the best deal or the best interest rate will jump at the
chance. Government records show cases where some victims provided their
information for fraudulent banks with names like 'Flintstone National Bank' of
'Bedrock, Colorado'. Sad but true.
To prevent search engine phishing from happening to you, be
vigilant and wary. Think before you click and never trust any site that has
offers that seem just too good to be true. The truth is... they are.
