Yep, I got hooked today. I got caught by a phishing attack. It’s been a long time since one of my accounts has been compromised. I am usually good at catching on before I go to far into a phishing trap.
This time was different. These are the factors that tricked me.
- The fake post came into my Twitter Direct Messages in the midst of a busy Twitter time- just after my last blog post.
- The direct message came from a trusted peer- another Tech Integrationist.
- The owner of the account had a closed Twitter feed, so I know she is very careful about the traffic she sees and shares.
- The message was not really odd. “Did you see this tweet about you!?”
(Okay, NOW that I look at it, it was a quite a bit phishy.) - The linked site said that the Twitter session had timed out. We were having connectivity issues at home.
- And, honestly, they did an okay job with the fake entry page. Check it out below.
FAKE Twitter page. Beware.
For those that I affected, I am sorry. This is the danger of public social media.
If you are not all that familiar with phishing, here are some links to check out…
- How Phishing Works from HowStuffWorks.com
- How to recognize phishing email messages, links, or phone calls from Microsoft’s Safety and Security Center
- Avoid Getting “Hooked” by Phishers from Fraud.org
One of my favorite sites to check out if a message is phony or not is Snopes.com. This site attempts to research and verify (or debunk) common urban myths and other rumors. The topic that relates most to my adventures today is the Inboxer Rebellion topic. Click here to find out about Scams, Missing Persons, Hoaxes, Class Action Lawsuits and School Projects. Quite entertaining, if you ask me.
Want to venture out into other areas? Which of these do you think are real?
- “Child television star dies from ingesting Pop Rocks and Soda.”
(Do you remember hearing this?) - “Vacationing Couple finds Body Under their Bed.”
(This one was told to me by one of my elementary teachers. I remember looking under beds for years. Still do sometimes.) - “Thieves lie in weight under cars to slash their victim’s ankles.”
(This one was popular just as I was learning to drive.) - “Alligators live in the New Your City sewer system.”
(Chomp chomp.) - “Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name to KFC in order to eliminate the word “fried” from its title.”
(I thought it was because they don’t actually serve chicken…)