The most prevalent scams from Ebay are the kind which looks like an email sent from Ebay in every sense. Right from the logo and Ebay’s official letterhead, these mails look and sound so very convincing that very rarely do people realise they are fraudulent emails,Known by the name ‘phishing emails’; these mails often direct users to enter details at a fake site whichbears a striking resemblance to the legitimate oneIn the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit cards details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication
.And in most cases, phishing is typically carried out by IMs or emails. The other arising scam issue is with Paypal. Though Paypal once used to be a secure online payment, today they are prone to the risks arising from common “tab-napping” methods. Tap napping has evolved as an intelligent phishing method which relies on clicking on a dodgy link. “Tap-napping” is basically a criminal activity of stealing an Internet user’s personal information by substituting a fake web page at an inactive tab during an Internet browsing session.“The Tab-nappers wait for their chance and silently replace the original tab in which the user may have been working on, particularly if they feel relate to a bank account. The culprits replace the original tab with a fake one...” – the Statesmen
“You switch to another tab for a few seconds, and when you return tothe bank’s site it looks exactly like how you left it . So you happily enter your login details and before you know it, you have been tabnapped” – Digitalone
So now just think for yourselves and see if whilst using Ebay and Paypal, you have the habit of leaving it open, returning and taking for granted that the request for confirming details is authentic.If so what must be remembered when it comes to onlinebanking is that just like Paypals and other banks do notify the uses to confirm details, they also log off if the site remains inactive for a couple of minutes.
This exactly is what the fraudster looks forward to. And no one ever thinks this might be false and the sting of the reality never hits unless one checks his/her bank balance.
Oratory UK has designed a simple set of guidelines for those who are looking for ideas, ways and means to protect themselves from online scams.
The first thing any person should keep in mind is that requests for details may not be from who you think it’s from.
- Never open a window tab when dealing with personal data. Only use new windows
- Treat all request for details with suspicion as a some might be fake
- Check the address URL line at the top of the screen to confirm it has an expected address. If it is an important personal data make sure it starts with http://
- Report everything you suspect.
Hence keep your eyes open for phishing mails of any sort. An example would be like the following:
