What can you do to avoid being a victim of Phishing Scams and Spoofed Sites?

The Retirement Planning Specialist

Avoid Phishing Scams and Spoofed Sites

The times we live in require us to practice caution in everything we do to avoid being taken advantage of. The risks are out there and criminal minds are busy weaving new and creative webs to get access to our information and our bank accounts. 
According to Wikipedia.org. on the Internet, "phishing" refers to criminal activity that attempts to fraudulently obtain sensitive information. There are several ways a scam artist will try to obtain your Social Security number, driver's license, credit card or bank account number.
Here's some tips  from Intuit on how to avoid getting caught in the Net.

• Spoofed email address. It's easy to fake a From or Reply To address, either manually or with spam software, so you should never assume an email is real by looking at its header.You might be able to spot fake addresses by checking for domain name misspellings, but this isn't foolproof. Best not to reply to unsolicited email and not to open email attachments. Some email service providers combat the problem of spoofed addresses by using authentication techniques to verify a sender's integrity. 
• Fake link. Scam emails can contain a hidden link to a site that asks you to enter your log on and account information.            Here's a clue: if the email threatens you with account closure if you don't log on soon, you could be the target of phishing.    You may be able to tell if a link is real by moving your mouse over and looking at the bottom of your browser to see the hidden Web address -- it will look different than the one you see on the surface. When in doubt, never click on a link in an unsolicited or suspicious email.
• Forged Website. Phony Web sites mimic real sites by copying company logos, images and site designs. Malicious Webmasters can also use HTML, flash or Java Script to mask or change a browser address. If you visit a financial site, like your bank or credit card company, enter its known address into the browser location field manually. Use a browser with an anti-phishing plug-in or extension.

You can help. If you suspect you have received a phishing email from someone impersonating Intuit, please forward it immediately (with the email headers intact, if possible) to spoof@intuit.com. Each reported instance gets looked into.

Not sure if it's really TurboTax, Intuit or any other reputable firm behind that email? For the latest info on known phishing scams and how to report fraudulent emails, visit Intuit Online Security Center.

For the complete article and additional info and a list of FAQ got to http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/iq/Preparing-My-Taxes/Avoid-Phishing-Scams-and-Spoofed-Sites/GEN84026.html 

The above information is general in nature and is only meant to provide simple common sense ideas on how to combat ID theft and is not endorsement nor recommendation of a purchase or sale.
It is always recommend that you consult a tax professional when dealing with tax issues and not to depend on generic products or solutions since every individual situation is different and ultimately you are held personally accountable for any errors.