Five smart things you should know about phishing

Here are five things you should know about phishing:


1. Phishing refers to the practice of sending e-mails posing as a genuine service provider and seeking to access confidential information about credit cards and bank accounts.

2. Such e-mails are designed to mislead the investor. Misaligned logos, expanded or contracted photos, or signatures with dubious designations are a giveaway.

3. Look for spelling and punctuation errors and unnecessary use of technical language. The drafts of these mails are not subject to quality checks of the original bank or institution.

4. No bank or service provider will ask you to open an attachment or click a link on a mail. Always access websites using the URL of the bank.

5. The messages that call for urgent action or dire consequences are usually spam. Banks do not send such communication through e-mails.

(Courtesy Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL). Contributions by Girija Gadre and Arti Bhargava)