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If you hadn't heard.. here are some of the newest scams to get you to part with your personal info.
There are two relatively new phishing schemes that are starting to show up in this area. Please read the below, and use it as a reminder to NEVER provide personal information to solicitors, and to NEVER click on any links if you are not sure where the link is going or why you received it.
The first is a method called a "vishing" attack which is carried out over the phone. Victims will receive a call from a person claiming to be from the office that oversees jury duty. The person will tell you that you failed to show up for jury duty and now a warrant is out for your arrest. The caller expects you to protest that you never received the summons. After you protest, the caller will indicate that you can be rescheduled but you will have to verify your identification. The information requested usually includes your Social Security number, date of birth, driver's license number and address.
The second method is referred to as spear phishing. A spear phishing exploit is targeted towards specific persons, typically in highly visible positions. These attacks use publicly available information about potential victims to build an attack plan. The way this attack works is you will receive an official looking e-mail message (containing personal information about you) claiming that a federal investigation has turned up evidence of wrongdoing on your part and you are now being served a warrant. The email will request that you to click on a link for information about the warrant. Once you click on the link, a Trojan (virus) will be loaded onto your computer and used to capture information such as your passwords and personal data.
There are two relatively new phishing schemes that are starting to show up in this area. Please read the below, and use it as a reminder to NEVER provide personal information to solicitors, and to NEVER click on any links if you are not sure where the link is going or why you received it.
The first is a method called a "vishing" attack which is carried out over the phone. Victims will receive a call from a person claiming to be from the office that oversees jury duty. The person will tell you that you failed to show up for jury duty and now a warrant is out for your arrest. The caller expects you to protest that you never received the summons. After you protest, the caller will indicate that you can be rescheduled but you will have to verify your identification. The information requested usually includes your Social Security number, date of birth, driver's license number and address.
The second method is referred to as spear phishing. A spear phishing exploit is targeted towards specific persons, typically in highly visible positions. These attacks use publicly available information about potential victims to build an attack plan. The way this attack works is you will receive an official looking e-mail message (containing personal information about you) claiming that a federal investigation has turned up evidence of wrongdoing on your part and you are now being served a warrant. The email will request that you to click on a link for information about the warrant. Once you click on the link, a Trojan (virus) will be loaded onto your computer and used to capture information such as your passwords and personal data.
