We’ve all seen the messages arrive in our e-mail accounts.
They promise either great deals on your mortgage or a newly discovered inheritance in Niger- ia.
But over the past few years, another form of Internet scam has claimed many victims in this state and nationally.
Known as “phishing,” this ploy involves what looks like a legitimate notice from your bank or another financial outlet. It arrives via e-mail, then asks for personal information, such as a pin or Social Security number.
It’s not the bank, but a scam artist hoping to get access to your account to steal your money or steal your identity.
Last year, this state ranked eighth in the nation for identity theft. Nationally, 43 percent of adults re- port they’ve received phishing e-mails, according to consumer groups.
To fight these scams, Attorney General Rob McKenna recently hired two attorneys to combat high-tech fraud, identity theft and other scams targeting consumers in this state.
These newly hired watchdogs, Katherine Tassi and Shannon Smith, agreed to sit down and talk to The News Tribune about scams in this state and how consumers can protect themselves.
So what exactly is “phishing”?
Tassi: It’s a fraud that relies on looking like an e-mail from a legitimate business, which in this case, is most often a bank.
Often, an e-mail will instruct you to “click here” and ask you to update your records, give your pin number, update your address, your Social Security number or any other personal information they may get from you.
This has cost the banking industry $1 billion so far.
What has this cost consumers?
Smith: Often, when identity theft and bank fraud is involved, the consumer is credited with the amount that is taken from the account.
But if actual ID theft is involved, it will cost the consumer a lot of time and energy to correct the damage perpetuated by the fraudster.
And this type of fraud is still going on? Don’t most people know NOT to click on a weird e-mail by now?
Tassi: I’ve seen even very tech-savvy people fall for this. About two years ago, a friend who worked at Microsoft called me and was asking if something she received in her e-mail was legit or not.
When did either of you first see “phishing” occur?
Tassi: I personally started see it about two years ago. I think it’s been growing since then.
Is there a Web site you’d recommend to find out what brands or banks most often appear in these e-mails?
Steve Larsen, assistant attorney general, technology and special projects: Yes, consumers should check out www.antiphishing.org. That will give you a list of 74 different brand names that have been used in this scam. About 94 percent of the brands are from banks. The banking industry has been hit very hard by this.
Are there specific laws against “phishing” in this state?
Larsen: There was an anti-spam law passed in 1998. But the legislature just passed a law specific to “phishing” that took effect July 24 of this year.
What type of laws can you bring against these spammers?
Tassi: If we can find a nexus in Washington state, we can bring the Consumer Protection Act against the spammers, as well penalties for deceptive marketing practices and unfair business practices. We can seek an injunction against the fraudster and seek restitution for the consumer.
Larsen: Fines start at about $500 per instance.
You also are looking at spyware scams? How does that work?
Smith: That’s where someone tries to send software to your computer, and if you use it, it will harvest personal information about you or send you pop-up advertisements.
Tassi: You can download this without knowing it. Sometimes you can get this by buying something legitimate, but the spyware will be bundled with it.
Smith: At the very least, this is annoying, and at the worst, it is dangerous.
So you get spyware or you receive a phishing e-mail. What should you do, besides not giving any info and not clicking on the attachment?
Tassi: You can file a complaint from a form you can download at www.atg.wa.gov/junkemail. Also, notify the bank that you are receiving this, because they track what is going on.
If you click on “properties” in the head itself, that will give you the entire transmission path. If you copy that into the complaint form, we can use that information.
WHEN A ‘PHISH’ SWIMS INTO YOUR E-MAIL
• Don’t click on the attachment or give any personal information. A legitimate financial institution, such as a bank, will not ask you to update your account via e-mail.
• Call the state attorney general’s office and report the e-mail, and fill out the complaint form that can be found on the state Web site.
• Also notify the institution from where the phishing e-mail supposedly came from. Officials there will want to know.
