Originally published September 14 2005
Online companies spread the word about phishing schemes
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Giving the rise in identity theft in the last six months, many large online sites are alerting customers to possible email scams that could result in identity theft.
"As a leader in the online information industry, The Wall Street Journal Online wants to educate our subscribers about an increasingly prevalent online scam commonly known as 'phishing.'
For the record: "Typically, a phisher sends an email or pop-up message that appears to be from a company or brand that you trust, such as a bank or credit card issuer, or even Dow Jones or The Wall Street Journal, in an attempt to obtain sensitive information from you.
Phishers usually disguise the "from" address of their emails and present you with links to Web sites that appear to be legitimate, but when you reply to that email or click on those links, you are directed to the phisher."
It then tells subscribers how the Online Journal collects updated customer information so readers can tell the real thing from the phish.
It also notes that nervous customers can deal with credit card data and other sensitive information offline by calling a customer service rep.
The nature of the game played by the good, the bad and the ugly of the Internet is intrinsically complex, and explaining it to the public in a way that makes sense to them and, more importantly, shows how it affects their lives, is a talent that remains in short supply.
Those who read the Online Journal -- with its quality Internet-only news team -- must be already aware of the dangers of the Internet.
"Mullenweg is just one of the stars of the Blog Business Summit being held in San Francisco through today.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran the story: "Fooled by an Internet hoax, many Americans are planning to grab lawn chairs and watch for Mars to be as big as the moon in the night sky Aug. 27.
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