Top 10 Phishing Scams

by on 03/03/2009 in Scams & Hoaxes, Security

If you receive a similar message in your inbox you should delete it and not follow the links in the message. To protect yourself further, download the WOT (Web of Trust) add-on for Firefox. This add-on will warn you if the link in your email (WOT does not currently work with non-browser email) is dangerous before you click on it. Never follow a link in an email if you are not 100% sure of the source.

Top 10 Phishing Scams as of January 30, 2009

  1. Wells Fargo customer service team informs you
  2. Wells Fargo customer service: notification
  3. Important notice
  4. Wells Fargo notification
  5. Wells Fargo customer service: official information
  6. Wells Fargo customer service informs you
  7. Automatic notification
  8. Official information
  9. Customer notification
  10. Wells Fargo reminder: notification

Top 10 Companies Spoofed by Phishers as of December 2008

  1. Google
  2. Abbey National PLC
  3. Paypal
  4. Lloyds TSB
  5. Wachovia
  6. eBay
  7. Alliance and Leicester
  8. ANZ Bank
  9. Chase
  10. Posteitaliane

What’s Phishing?

Phishing is an online con game and phishers are nothing more than tech-savvy con artists and identify thieves. They use SPAM, malicious Web sites, email messages and instant messages to trick people into divulging sensitive information, such as bank and credit card accounts.

4 Responses to “Top 10 Phishing Scams”

  1. Colin

    Mar 3rd, 2009

    Sadly, with the ongoing economic woes phishing is on the rise, and it also takes advantage of ‘click-happy’ users who click links out of curiosity.

    Not all email clients support WOT at present, so as long as users have WOT as a browser addon it should prevent them from being sucked in as many phishing and scam sites are quickly rated as dangerous.

    • Frank J

      Mar 3rd, 2009

      Click happy users need to pay more attention to what they click on or they may find themselves in the poor house. Great comment Colin!

  2. Kevin

    Mar 4th, 2009

    Great reading on that, thanks! Interesting, the spate of Well’s Fargo Phishing Scams!

    • Frank J

      Mar 4th, 2009

      Thank you Kevin! Look forward to more comments.