Beware of Email Phishing: Faux FedEx Example

See also:

• Security articles and blog posts
• Phishing
• Apple Mail
• Apple Mail Security: Disable Loading of Remote Content
• Apple Mail Security: Viewing Mail Headers
• Setting Up Your Mac For Better Security

What is phishing?

Phishing is an attempt to induce you to click on something that directs you to a fake web site containing malware. The truly unwary will then be persuaded to enter their banking credentials or similar sensitive information, or if there are unlucky unfixed security issues, be infected by a computer virus or trojan. (Mac users are not immune to this).

Nearly all phishing uses bait (and you’re the fish). Bait can be subtle, threatening or insulting. Don’t bite. All bait is designed to provoke a reaction: fear, anger, an appeal to your innate decency to help with or solve a problem, need to respond to your bank or whatever.

Rules for email security

RULE: ***NEVER*** click on links or attachments in email!!!

Never means never unless you gain the technical competence to verify the email. Even so, that can sometimes take several minutes to be sure—and the more sophisticated the phishing, the easier it is to overlook a crucial detail. It’s just not worth it—make it a habit to never click on links in emails.

Below, the attached screen shot shows a phishing email I received today purporting to be from FedEx, with a “package has been delivered” date a day in the future, obviously bogus email addresses, etc.

Phishing email purporting to be FedEx delivery notice