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August 6, 2004
bullshit or not?

This is a quiz that tests your ability to catch 'phishing' - fake emails that say things like 'update your account immediately' and link to a site that appears to be from the actual company but actually is an off-site script set up to get your passwords or credit card numbers.

Amazingly I got a 10/10. But I get a lot of these kinds of emails.

snagged from Anything but ordinary

I'll post a few tips below but they might be spoilers

--Spelling, grammar, and non-standard coporate cs speak can be good tip-offs but even the big guys make typos and such. Non corporate customer service speak is a much bigger red flag to me than spelling errors.

--Links that take you directly to a specific page that don't link to other common pages like support or the main index.

--Links to scripts - if there's a /cgi in the url definitely take a second look.

--Buttons where you can't see the url that it's linked to.

--Usually anything threatening you verify or change your account info IMMEDIATELY or by a certain date is bad. Threatening you buy something or your account will be suspended should be a good tip-off.

--Legitimate emails that involve you needing to input personal info and passwords tend to have some kind of fine print.

--Just because the email isn't html formatted or doesn't have the company logo doesn't mean it isn't legit.

--You don't usually need to use personal information to track a package.

If in doubt - go to the main address (ex. http://www.paypal.com, http://www.ebay.com) and find their 'contact customer service' or 'fraud prevention' contact and forward the email to them to ask if this is real or not.


the little hedgehog said about memes at 6:12 PM



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