I noted in my first note on the fraud known
as "phishing" that one should look for an https: prefix to ensure you
are on a secure server. Seven days later I see that the forces of
fraud have already incorporated this advice into their bait kit:
Note the https:// lead in - a sign of a legit, secure, site. NOT.
The whole text unit is, once again, a graphic image. The actual
destination site (already removed from the Internet by an Internet
Service Provider in Kyrgyzstan) is:
Yes, that is Kyrgyzstan, a nation
that is in search of a few good vowels. They have a lovely site at:
http://www.kg. Had
you clicked on the graphic and had the site still been up, then you
would have likely seen no https:// in your browser address bar, and
that is where it counts.
So what is the defense for those who do not know where their browser
address bar is located? Do not click on a link in an email and then,
at the location you are taken to, enter any confidential or financial
data. Yes, this email contains links. But none of them lead to pages
that ask for financial information. And if they did, you should not
enter any financial data!
If you are staring a huge load of Spam, phish, and potential viruses in
your email and wondering if email has become a burden more than a tool
for productivity, you are not alone. PC Magazine is running as their
February 17 cover story, "Can Email Survive?" See
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1476586,00.asp
for more details.