As you know, there are emails that pretend to be from a bank or mortgage company which tell you to "click here" to update your information, including credit card information - and one of our members recently got one purporting to be from MSN (Microsoft). The email tells you there is a problem and you need to update your account - which is what catches your attention.

But, the consumer watch column in my paper warned that with Christmas coming, people are starting to see these phishing emails which purport to be from Amazon and other internet sellers.

IF AN EMAIL TELLS YOU TO "CLICK HERE" TO UPDATE INFORMATION - DON'T!. If you think it may be from an entity you do business with, go to that site through your bookmarks, use Google, or call the entity's 800 number and ask them if they sent you an email. I can 99.99999% guarantee they didn't and that it is an attempt, through computer fraud, to gain your credit card and other information.

By Tink on Saturday, November 20, 2004 - 10:47 pm:

Thanks for the reminder, Ginny.

By Palmbchprincess on Sunday, November 21, 2004 - 12:55 am:

A thing I have noticed about Paypal phishing schemes... they show up in your Yahoo mail with just "Paypal" as the sender. This means it is a Yahoo based address, same as if Cori emails me it shows up just as "Cori". Real messages say Service@paypal.com (or something similar). I'm sure most other companies are the same... don't even open them if you aren't sure it's the "real deal"!! And Ginny is so right about never using the click-through. Thanks for the reminder, Ginny!