Anti Phishing Toolbar

Debt_Free_Chick

This looks promising

http://toolbar.netcraft.com/help/tutorials/using.html

A toolbar that enables you to verify the site you are visiting, to be sure that it's the site you think it is and not a spoof. Particularly useful for checking out any links you get by email.

The standard advice still applies - do not click on links that ask you to reveal your security details. However, with this toolbar you could click on the link and then check that they are who they say they are!

peter_the_piper

Isn't it risky even just clicking on a link you don't know? Surely this confirms you address to the spammer and also opens the door to spyware, adware and other c**p.
Always err on the side of caution.

wirm

Surely this confirms you address to the spammer

correct

Debt_Free_Chick

correct  :)

Could you explain how, please?

The link launches IE (or whatever web browser you're using). This alone does not generate an email reply to the spammer. And these phishers aren't interested in verifying your email address - they don't give a damn about your address, they want you to go to their spoof website so they can collect your security details.

And remember, that these phishing emails can be very convincing. You may not be able to identify the sender as a spammer. Even the banks have been fooled by some of them.

Sorry - but clicking on a link does not confirm your email address.

And this is still a useful tool. It can help you identify more about a website - whether you get the address from a phishing email or anywhere else.

Debt_Free_Chick

Isn't it risky even just clicking on a link you don't know? Surely this confirms you address to the spammer and also opens the door to spyware, adware and other c**p.
Always err on the side of caution.

It's not about clicking on links that you don't know. It's ones that you think are what they say, but turn out to be something else. Phishing emails look like they come from your bank e.g. contactus@cahoot.com or whatever and link looks like https://www.cahoot.com

So, you click on it. Your browser opens up and it looks like your going to https://www.cahoot.com ... but you don't. This toolbar verifies the web address and gives you information about the owner of the site and the site administrator. Now, if either were a webmail address e.g. @hotmail, yahoo etc ... then you would be suspicious. Or if they were Nigerian or Eastern Europe owners, where most of the current scams originate.

Everything is very cleverly spoofed - even the banks have been fooled by some of them. This toolbar is not for things you can spot yourself ... it's for checking what you think is the right site.

If you only clicked on links you "knew" you'd never find anything new on the internet

As for opening the door to spyware, adware etc .... No. The door is not open if you click on link provided you have the relevant software installed e.g. Firewall, Anti Virus, SpywareBlaster, AdAware, Spybot etc. That's not to say that you should cheerfully click on everything, but you sometimes you need to click to find out whether the site is OK/genuine or not. So yes, be cautious - but caution alone is not enough. Get the relevant security too.

Safe surfing

LincsLad_3

Sorry - but clicking on a link does not confirm your email address.

And I am sorry, but you are wrong. Clicking on a link in an email CAN reveal your email address as active to a spammer if the link is setup to do so. It is a widely used technique.

And there are simpler ways of confirming the veracity of a link - simply hovering your cursor over the link (WITHOUT clicking) will reveal the true destination in the browser status bar (near the bottom of the page). Try it here.

Or use Firefox, which displays the web address on a Yellow background when the site is secure - which is, of course, the only time you should even think about disclosing any personal information - and even then I would think long and hard before doing so.

I don't wish Netcraft (or anyone else for that matter) to have the ability to 'profile' me by viewing which websites I visit, so I will not be installing their software.

The simplest anti-phishing technique is often the best - NEVER respond online to any requests for personal information, no matter how convincing the arguments may seem.

Debt_Free_Chick

And I am sorry, but you are wrong.   Clicking on a link in an email CAN reveal your email address as active to a spammer if the link is setup to do so.  It is a widely used technique.

Out of interest, can you explain roughly how?

And there are simpler ways of confirming the veracity of a link - simply hovering your cursor over the link (WITHOUT clicking) will reveal the true destination in the browser status bar (near the bottom of the page).  Try it here.

That just confirms the address e.g. www. personalbanking. barclays.co.uk. It doesn't give you any information to help you evaluate whether the site is actually a Barclays one, which the toolbar does

I don't wish Netcraft (or anyone else for that matter) to have the ability to 'profile' me by viewing which websites I visit, so I will not be installing their software.

They don't - here's the Privacy statement

http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2003/01/01/privacy_statement.html

The simplest anti-phishing technique is often the best - NEVER respond online to any requests for personal information, no matter how convincing the arguments may seem.

Agree with all of that ... but others are not so savvy and many people will follow a link. Egg include links in their emails, for example (but quite why they still send a link, given the security issues I don't know).

And some of the scams have been very, very convincing. To be honest, I can understand some people responding to some of these (spoofs of Halifax, HSBC, Barclays, Woolwich ... and more)

http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk/scams.html#phishing

It's getting some very positive reviews on the dedicated computer sites, as Google will reveal.

Of course, it's just a tool (and, I believe, a very useful one at that) not a substitute for good PC security and a degree of cynicism  ;)

loopy_lass

now im worried! i treid hovering my cursor over the link just out of interest, and i get NOTHING... no info... can anyone explain?

thanks loops

sra

now im worried! i treid hovering my cursor over the link just out of interest, and i get NOTHING... no info... can anyone explain?

thanks loops

If you hover your cursor over a link, it usually tells you where that link will take you in the very bottom left of your browser. (if you have your browser fullscreen then it's directly above the start menu)

You have to remember that any text can be made to appear over a link

for example, click below:

http://www.ebay.co.uk

Rex_Mundi

For anyone worried about these kinds of emails, try this test. It gives you 10 genuine emails. You have to decide wether they are real or not. Worth a couple of minutes.
http://survey.mailfrontier.com/survey/quiztest.html

loopy_lass

Ahhh i get it now.... thanks

loops