There are far more phishing scams out there than any Guide could tackle in full – it would take a battalion of people writing non-stop to keep up with it. However, one of the biggest threats in the identity theft world is the phishing scam, so it’s an important topic to cover. Your Guide would prefer to address the subject of phishing the same way he addresses identity theft protection services – rather than evaluate and report on each one of them, it is far better to know how to recognize a phishing scheme so you can handle it appropriately when you run into it.
The point of a phishing scam is simple: the identity thief is looking for personal information they can use to impersonate you – usually (but not always) for money. They do this in a couple of different ways – generally speaking they will try to use intimidation, or convince you that you have something (again, generally money) coming to you.
Intimidation-Based Phishing Scams
Tip #1: NOBODY sends official communication via email. Some phishing scams attempt to intimidate you in to giving away your information. They may use official-looking logos, or even use the actual logos of the company or business they are impersonating, such as the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, US Postal Service, or even your bank or credit card company. The phishing scam will arrive in your email, and inform you that you must take immediate action to correct a problem with their records. Solution: Delete the email.
Tip #2: No government organization sends official communication via email. If the IRS is going to audit you, they will send you a letter telling you so – they have to, so there will be a paper trail if it goes to court. If the DHS has you on a potential terrorist watch list, they aren’t going to tell you about it. If you were supposed to show up for jury duty and failed to, you will get a notification in the mail, or (more likely) you will be informed of a bench warrant the next time you are stopped for speeding or a busted tail-light. Solution: Delete the email.
Tip #3: No police or government agency calls you if there is a warrant for your arrest. Phishing scams are not limited to your email. They will occasionally show up in the form of a phone call. These can be more convincing, because rhetoric can make you believe something you may not believe otherwise. But if there is a warrant out for your arrest, nobody is going to call you to tell you about it. If it’s important enough that they would call you, they will just send somebody to your house or work to arrest you. Solution: Hang up.
”You Won!” Phishing Scams
Tip #4: Nobody is giving away money. I so wish it were otherwise, but the sad fact is I do not have some long forgotten relative in Zimbabwe who has left me enough money to make me hire someone else to count it for me… and neither do you. No insurance company has a crack team of investigators digging through genealogies to root out long-lost relatives so they can pay off a policy that looks like the national debt... or even a little one that could buy a modest house. Nobody wins a lottery they don’t enter, and if you do enter a lottery, it’s up to you to claim your prize – they don’t come looking for you.
Tip #4b: No, really, NOBODY is giving away money. In today’s economy, we all would like to believe there is some millionaire out there who’s just tired of being so rich and wants to help other people out by giving away his cash to better their lives. (Percy Ross actually DID do this, but he passed away. Allegedly, his generosity inspired a group of philanthropists to do the same – but from all appearances, this site is yet another phishing scam.) If you receive a check in the mail with instructions to deposit into your bank account, but you don’t know who the sender is, or you weren’t expecting the check, it’s almost guaranteed to be a scam. You can go ahead and take it to the bank, but don’t expect any money. Banks are aware of these scams, and will add the check to their collection for future evidence in a court case. Solution: Come to grips with reality.
