reporting phishing attacks

You can take steps to avoid a phishing attack.

• Don’t ever email or text personal or financial information.
• Be cautious about opening attachments and downloading files from unfamiliar emails.
• Use trusted security software and make sure it is updated consistently.
• Provide personal or financial information through a business’s or organization’s website only if you typed in the website address yourself. If the URL begins with https (the “s” stands for secure) it is likely safe. However, keep in mind that phishers have been known to forge security icons.
• Review your credit card and bank account statements and check for unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company to confirm your billing address and account balances.

If you think that you have been tricked by a phishing email, take the following actions.

• File a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.ftc.gov/complaint.
• Visit the FTC’s identity theft website, www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identitytheft. Victims of phishing could become victims of identity theft; the site lists steps you can take to minimize your risk.
• Forward phishing emails to the FTC at spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank or organization impersonated in the email. You may also report phishing email to reportphishing@antiphishing.org. The Anti-Phishing Working Group, a group of ISPs, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies, uses these reports to fight phishing. UPS offers more tips on fighting phishing. Go to www.ups.com and search “fight fraud.”

-- Costco Connection, March 2014