Comment Re:Cool phishing detection quiz (Score 1) 233
The basic rule I follow is:
Never trust that a link in an email is going where it says it is. Never.
That was what made me think #4 was a phish.
My thoughts on the list:
#1: sounds reasonable, so I guessed it wasn't a phish, though I still wouldn't follow that link if I wanted 'Extra Storage' -- log into the hotmail website and find the link there.
#2: Wants me to 'update my information', and supplies URL to follow to do it? That's a phish.
#3: Looks pretty convincing, but the threat to suspend my account if I don't do it makes it sound like a phish. It might cause me to log into my account and look for a 'verify now' link -- if it was major enought to send to all users, it's on the website.
#4: See above: link in email to 'verify information' -- yeah right.
#5: The steps they give to update my information involve going directly to the paypal website -- looks legit. Definately worth logging into paypal and checking.
#6: Earthlink won't contact you exclusively via email to tell you there's a problem with billing -- they'd call.
#7: Yet another 'verify your information' with a link in the email -- phish.
#8: a pretty badly worded fraud -- eBay would write their email in better English. That and the link in the email....
#9: This looks pretty legit, though warning bells would go off if the USPS link requested my PayPal info. I wouldn't follow the lower link though -- log into Paypal and view the transaction history if you really want to see it.
#10: Looks pretty slick, but again, it's your standard 'I'm Visa, follow me' trick.
Remember: Never assume a link goes where it says it goes. If it's something you value, navigate there yourself.
Never trust that a link in an email is going where it says it is. Never.
That was what made me think #4 was a phish.
My thoughts on the list:
#1: sounds reasonable, so I guessed it wasn't a phish, though I still wouldn't follow that link if I wanted 'Extra Storage' -- log into the hotmail website and find the link there.
#2: Wants me to 'update my information', and supplies URL to follow to do it? That's a phish.
#3: Looks pretty convincing, but the threat to suspend my account if I don't do it makes it sound like a phish. It might cause me to log into my account and look for a 'verify now' link -- if it was major enought to send to all users, it's on the website.
#4: See above: link in email to 'verify information' -- yeah right.
#5: The steps they give to update my information involve going directly to the paypal website -- looks legit. Definately worth logging into paypal and checking.
#6: Earthlink won't contact you exclusively via email to tell you there's a problem with billing -- they'd call.
#7: Yet another 'verify your information' with a link in the email -- phish.
#8: a pretty badly worded fraud -- eBay would write their email in better English. That and the link in the email....
#9: This looks pretty legit, though warning bells would go off if the USPS link requested my PayPal info. I wouldn't follow the lower link though -- log into Paypal and view the transaction history if you really want to see it.
#10: Looks pretty slick, but again, it's your standard 'I'm Visa, follow me' trick.
Remember: Never assume a link goes where it says it goes. If it's something you value, navigate there yourself.
