Do not "CLICK HERE"

Hello again...


As you probably noticed I have been gone for awhile, had to deal with some medical and surgical issues. While I am not yet 100%, I am now able to focus on reading instead of pain, so, today I came across an article that suggested that folks are still falling prey to email and "phishing" scams. Here's how they work. These scammers are now impersonating the IRS and yes, guess what they are after, no, not just your stimulus payment, but also the account you might deposit your funds into. There intent is to clean you out, and once they have your personal information, it spreads exponentially as they may then be able to get to your investment accounts and other financial accounts.


Most of us are accustomed to clicking on a link to access various pieces of information at other sites, it has become so second nature, that we no longer even have to think about it, and that is one way that our financial privacy gets invaded and usurped, that simple click on a link that you make, may allow "the enemy" at your invitation, into your computer to search and find additional information, your information that they will now use against you.


Another way is they simply pretend to be one of your financial vendors, and ask for detailed personal information. Generally it comes with a sense of urgency, e.g. if you dont send this information, you'll lose out on something; we'll have to close your account; you'll be charged a fee, and so on, and of course if caught off guard, we might succumb, after all we think its our vendor, and so we may go ahead and key in the information. NO credible financial vendor will ask for your information via email, or ask you to key in your information after clicking on a link. You will generally be asked to go to the authentic website and make your changes through a secure website - where you will see a "locked padlock" symbol. An additional word of caution here - you should also watch out for oddities in the websites that you visit, e.g. if you see words that are spelt incorrectly, it could also mean you are not on the authentic website of your financial institution. Use the tools in your internet security package to check whether the site is known as a "phishing" site.

Regular check-ups of your financial accounts should also clue you into whether or not someone has gotten hold of your information.


Here is some information from the IRS , they have seen a sharp increase in the number of scams being perpetrated in their name.

Lastly, adults, please inform your kids, young adults, please inform your friends - its not cool to CLICK on phishing sites, or on links in emails you receive.