Since we get phishing emails all day long most of us recognize them immediately and delete them, but apparently phishing fraud continues to be a major problem. One great resource is the federal government website OnGuardOnline.gov which offers advice about Phishing and how consumers can protect themselves:

When internet fraudsters impersonate a business to trick you into giving out your personal information, it’s called phishing. Don’t reply to email, text, or pop-up messages that ask for your personal or financial information. Don’t click on links within them either – even if the message seems to be from an organization you trust. It isn’t. Legitimate businesses don’t ask you to send sensitive information through insecure channels.

Recently I noticed a message on the American Airlines website with this headline “FRAUDULENT EMAILS, FAXES AND POSTAL MAILINGS.” American claims that it will never ask customers:

to perform security-related changes to your account in this fashion or send emails to collect user names, passwords, email addresses or other personal information. If you receive an email claiming to be from American Airlines, that asks for account information, it should be considered fraudulent and an attempt to obtain personal information that may be used to commit fraud.

American wants its customers to understand phishing, so they provide specific detailed examples and advice:

  • Examples of Phishing Emails, Faxes and Postal Mailings
  • Example of Phishing Email with our partner carrier British Airways
  • What To Do If You Receive a Phishing Email, Fax, or Postal Mailing
  • Additional Characteristics of a Phishing Email

Since phishing does not seem to be abating, obviously consumers must be vigilant to protect themselves.
 

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