Lynton, Lynmouth and Exmoor Advertiser, March 2019
Monthly publication for Lynton, Lynmouth and Exmoor
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12 MARCH <strong>2019</strong><br />
Phishing scams<br />
Dear Readers,<br />
This month I want to take a look at phishing emails. There has been a large increase of<br />
spam <strong>and</strong> phishing mail lately, mostly from Apple or Amazon, <strong>and</strong> I want to help you to<br />
spot them. The people who send these emails are trying to con you out of money, <strong>and</strong> they<br />
are getting clever! My mum received one only last week <strong>and</strong> even I struggled to see it was<br />
a phishing scam.<br />
So let’s start with Apple emails. These claim to be from Apple <strong>and</strong> generally have the same<br />
style to them, saying your account is suspended <strong>and</strong> asking you to open an attachment or<br />
click on a link to verify information. It is generally not the attachment which is the issue<br />
but where that attachment then asks you to go, normally a website that “looks” like<br />
Apple's website, but is nothing like it behind the scenes. Then once you submit all the<br />
information which claims to be for your account, it redirects you to the actual Apple site, so<br />
you would be none the wiser. But now they have your details including any security<br />
questions you may have answered giving them the answers they need to reset your<br />
password <strong>and</strong> use your account.<br />
The email from Amazon was so good that I really struggled to find the chink. It looked like<br />
a normal Amazon confirmation email, the font, the colours, everything about it. Even the<br />
sent name Amazon.co.uk however, it was only when I<br />
clicked on the name that I saw the part, was actually hiding<br />
a very strange email address that was not Amazon. I then checked a little further, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
link half way down the page to Cancel the order, again went to a very different location,<br />
away from Amazon.<br />
What can these companies do? The bottom line is nothing. Amazon, Apple, <strong>and</strong> all the<br />
other legitimate companies spend a lot of time <strong>and</strong> money trying to find solutions to these<br />
scam emails <strong>and</strong> shut the operators down, but as quick as they shut one down, another<br />
ten will start up. What can we, as customers, do? If you know you have ordered a new<br />
kettle, <strong>and</strong> the email shows a new kettle, <strong>and</strong> you know you went to the right site, then it is<br />
probably OK. If however it says that you ordered a new iPhone X, but you know you didn't,<br />
check! Don't click on the links in the email but instead go to the site it claims to be from.<br />
Type in the address yourself <strong>and</strong> then check your recent purchase history. If it shows you<br />
ordered an Iphone X then change your password straight away as your account may have<br />
been compromised.<br />
I hope this short insight has helped. I did receive an email from Jeremy regarding an<br />
Outlook problem with Windows 10 but I was pleased to learn his problem had been<br />
resolved without my assistance.<br />
As always, any questions, please do let me know, that’s Andy at ICT@lyntonadvertiser.com<br />
advertise@lyntonadvertiser.com 01598 752788
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