Have You Been Phished?

I'm sure you've all heard of Identity Theft and, more recently, Phishing but do you really understand what they are and how they can affect you? Maybe this will help.

Let's start with the basics.

Personal Information

This is information that allows an organisation to identify you, as you. You know that when you contact the bank, your insurance company or just about anyone that has personal information about you, you are required to prove your identity. 

This process of proof generally comprises you being able to supply your Name; Date of Birth; and Address.

On Websites, the proof of identity is typically easier, requiring you to know your USER ID and Password.

Forget your Password or UserId?

I do all the time! In this day and age, I have to keep 10s of user ids and passwords and I don't mind admitting that I forget one or two of them from time to time.

For most sites, this isn't an issue. I simply request a password reminder and it is provided to my registered email address.

My logins to Financial Institutions is not that easy to retrieve. I'm required to contact the Call Centre, prove my identity and then the Bank will reset my password. EBay and PayPal have a similar process, conducted online.

So what happens when someone else can provide this information? They could well gain access to my personal and private information, or even my financial information.

Rest assured! Most organisations have a multi layered system and posing as someone else is becoming increasingly more difficult - but that doesn't mean people won't try.

How do these people get this information?

Phishing (pronounced Fishing) is a criminal activity using social engineering techniques. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.