Debt Trap - Phishing

This debt trap is about the practice known as phishing.

When debt consolidation, debt help, debt relief, and debt management are among the most widely searched terms on the internet there are always many opportunities for scammers.

If you are relatively new to the ways of the internet you probably don't know what the insidious practice of "phishing" is. Basically, it is when some person unknown to you sends you an email trying to trick you into supplying them with your personal details. It is a scam designed to fool you.

Phishing has many forms. Most often a "phisher" (I'd rather use the word scumbag) will masquerade as an official person from a bank. He or she will attempt to lure you to a bogus site where you will be asked to reveal bank account numbers and passwords.

Under no circumstances should you reveal your account numbers or passwords to anyone. Banks will not ask you for them, nor will they ask you to confirm them. Why should they? They already know them.

Phishers will also try to trick you into revealing your name, address, telephone number, passwords and other details for password protected sites like E-bay and Paypal. These are by far the most common attacks that they make.

Do NOT be fooled by official looking logos. Logos can easily be scanned and copied.

If you even have the SLIGHTEST doubt about the authenticity of any email that you receive, particularly ones with attachments or requests that you visit a certain site - delete them immediately.

You can "hover" your mouse pointer over any link that is provided to see the REAL destination that the phishers are trying to lure you to. It will be displayed in the address field on your computer screen. So long as you do not click the link you will be safe.

Do not be fooled into thinking that any of these sites are real. Phishers have become adept at copying website addresses that are ALMOST the same as the real addresses (URLs). Most often they WILL include the name of the site somewhere in the destination URL. This is just adding to the trick that they are using to suck you in.

Never give personal banking details or password information to anybody. This includes people who may telephone you.

If you are asked by some anonymous person (either in an email or on the telephone) to do anything that involves revealing personal details DO NOT DO IT. You can always visit a bank if you are required to do so for any so-called "security" reason.

Visiting scam phishing websites or revealing sensitive personal information to anybody is a debt trap. Your accounts can easily be raided if these criminals can obtain from you the details that they so desperately seek. They will then pose as you and do what they wish - usually emptying your accounts in seconds.

Most people are in enough debt without falling for phishing scams.

Be alert. If you are in ANY doubt at all then ignore and delete these offensive emails.