KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff"Phishing" on the rise in social networking sites

"Phishing" on the rise in social networking sites

By Carly O'Keefe - bio | email

CARBONDALE, IL (KFVS) - A new report out from IBM's X-Force Internet Security group shows a sizeable increase in phishing; but phishing attacks aren't just trying to get into your bank or PayPal accounts.   

Phishers are now also trying to get into your Facebook, email and online gaming accounts.

"Facebook it's probably the number one phishing target right now," said computer consultant Kirk Caskey of KC Technologies.

Because of social networking sites like Facebook that offer instant messaging and the ability to make new friends, Caskey says scammers now have another way to get your attention and fool you into giving up information.

By now, most people know not to give out their passwords, but your computer might not be as protective of your information. If you click on a scammer's link, it can put your personal information and your passwords into the wrong hands.

"Trojan horses can actually open a back door and gain access into your computer," said Caskey. "And the problem is most people use the same password for the majority of their online activities... once they get that one user I.D. and password, they can get into Yahoo, Gmail, EBay, Facebook... then it's just a matter of time until they can literally take over your life."

The endgame in a Phishing scheme is, of course, money.  Once a cyber crook gets your passwords, they may be able to log into your bank accounts, credit card accounts or PayPal accounts--drain them and leave you holding the bag.

The standard advice applies to protect yourself online: don't open emails if you don't know who they're from, don't click on links or attachments and just be wise about who you share your online information with.

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