\n\tA theft of names and email addresses like the recent one from marketing firm Epsilon doesn’t sound that bad but that information is valuable for scammers to use in further attacks, notably in phishing scams.
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\n\tIf an attacker knows your name, the companies you deal with and your email, then it can craft some convincing emails that have a much better chance of fooling you.
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\n\tZDNet Australia’s Darren Pauli presents some fabricated examples of phishing emails to illustrate what users need to watch out for in order to protect themselves.
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\n\tThe first one from Disney has mass appeal. The broad list of victims could be attractive for scammers.
\n\tPeople love a good deal, and these exist in abundance for hotel chains like the Marriott.
\n\tTelcos like Verizon have millions of customers.
\n\tA link could be inserted that points to a fake web page where customers are requested to enter billing information and promptly scammed.
\n\tPeople love a good deal, and these exist in abundance for hotel chains like the Marriott.
\n\tPhishing scams like this could direct users to fake booking sites in order to swipe financial details.
\n\tThe Hilton is another popular and trusted name in accommodation.
\n\tUnfortunately, its popularity is what could make it a good target. Even legitimate-looking email addresses will not necessarily be kosher.
\n\tRecruitment and career agency Robert Half was another victim of the Epsilon breach.
\n\tCustomers should be wary of scams that seek to harvest details for identity crime.
\n\tBorders sends out coupon offers to readers.
\n\tA link could be inserted that points to a fake web page where customers are requested to enter billing information and promptly scammed.
My name is Sonja Thompson. I've worked for TechRepublic since October of 1999, starting with the enewsletter team, then with the Premium Products group (creating books and CDs), as well as programming some of the elements on the site. After leading the Tech News team on TR, I jumped at the opportunity to switch gears and try my hand at video editing, podcasts, and other forms of multimedia on the site. I'm currently the host of the Smartphones blog, plus I edit the TR Dojo video series. \ \ I graduated from the University of Louisville. Since then, I've also completed several technology related courses from SmartPlanet. My goal is to learn about the TR community, interact with members on the site, and hopefully encourage more people to participate - and more often.
