Phishers are increasingly turning to retail-based e-mails in an attempt to scam unwary internet surfers.

Phishing is a scam where criminals attempt to lure unsuspecting people into entering their details into a website which looks like an official website but is in fact the fraudster’s own website and is designed for capturing user details such as passwords. Phishers will send out mass e-mails asking users to visit a website and enter their details. The e-mail and website often looks almost identical to the official site the phishers are mimicking, catching unwary surfers out.

Previously, the majority of phishing attempts focused on mimicking bank e-mails. However people are becoming more aware of these fake banking e-mails and the technique is said to be becoming less effective. So, the phishers are now turning towards retail phishing e-mail instead. Popular websites such as Amazon have already been used in phishing attempts. The trend also matches the trend that more people than ever are using the internet to make purchases.

Many consumers unaware that phishing extends not just to banking e-mails but to all forms of internet site and experts are warning people to make doubly sure that any e-mail that they receive is genuine.

If you have any doubts over the legitimacy of an e-mail, do not click on any links within the e-mail. Often you can forward the e-mail to the website’s helpdesk who will be able to confirm whether the e-mail was sent by them or not. Most companies will also state on their websites if they have sent any e-mails out so if you are unsure, type the web address into your browser and log into your account to check for any status messages.

You might also be interested in:
Ten Ways to Keep your Identity Safe
Beating the Phishing Fraudsters

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