Free Online Class Will Help Internet Users Avoid Phishing and Identity Theft Scams

May 13, 2010 - PRLog -- A free e-course on How to Avoid Phishing and Identity Theft Scams will be offered this summer at KSURF's Virtual University. The course presents a detailed look at the latest schemes and techniques used by cyber criminals to carry out phishing attacks and identity theft. Phishing is a common method of illegally obtaining passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal information using forged e-mails and fake web sites.

The free course will examine how individuals can protect themselves against cyber crime as they surf the Web, read e-mail, and interact with friends on social networks such as Facebook. It will also provide helpful guidelines on what victims of phishing and identity theft can do to fight back.

Last week, Jim Breyer's Facebook account was reportedly hijacked by fraudsters. Ironically, Breyer is on Facebook's board of directors. More than 2,000 of his "friends" received an email inviting them to apply for a "Facebook phone number." Those who responded were unaware that the invitation was a phishing scheme and handed over their passwords and other personal information to cyber thieves.

In Des Moines, Iowa, George Lawrence told police he received a text message stating that his debit card had been deactivated and he needed to call and reactivate it. He called the number he was given and punched in his card number and the expiration date as instructed. A few days later, he discovered that a crook in Dublin, Ireland, had withdrawn $200.00 from his account minutes after he "reactivated" his card. The thief checked the account balance a minute later and withdrew another $200.

Two days ago, the IRS warned of a new rash of phishing scams in which taxpayers receive fake e-mails claiming that they owe additional taxes and directing recipients to a website where they are asked to enter a credit card number to pay the amount due. Many taxpayers unwittingly walk into the trap and sometimes loose thousands of dollars. Organized criminal gangs in Romania are thought to be responsible for many of these IRS phishing attacks.

According to veteran web developer and author Richard De A'Morelli, who created the free course for KSURF, most cases of online fraud and identity theft start with a bad decision by Internet users who don't understand how these scams work.

"People need to learn to think before they act, and never to give out passwords or credit card numbers just because an e-mail tells them to do it," De A'Morelli said. "No matter how many laws are passed, it all comes down to users educating themselves and making smart choices in their online behavior."

A "phished" e-mail will usually contain the familiar logo of a major bank or government agency and an official-sounding message urging the recipient to take some action. Using a technique known as "social engineering," unsuspecting individuals are duped into visiting a fake website where they willingly provide passwords and credit card numbers to fraudsters.

Last year, more than 300,000 complaints were filed with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Many of these reports involved online fraud or identity theft. Losses in 2009 totaled $560 million, more than double the $264 million reported a year ago, an ominous sign that cybercrime is escalating.

The dangers lurking on the Internet are much more serious than just having to deal with the annoyance of a fraudulent charge on a credit card statement. Once cyber crooks obtain a victim's password and credit card number, they can use that information to apply for new credit cards, obtain loans, rent a home, file insurance claims, even obtain a driver's license and file fake tax returns in the victim's name.

Identity theft can have devastating consequences and it may take victims years and thousands of dollars to undo the damage done by one careless mistake," De A'Morelli explained. "An ounce of common sense goes a long way on the Internet."

KSURF's free course will give participants an in-depth understanding of how phishing attacks work and why they work so well, as well as insights into various other online scams that can lead to identity theft. The course will also explain how to "surf safely" on social networking sites such as Facebook and explore new technologies being developed by banks and law enforcement agencies to fight cybercrime.

For unlucky victims of phishing and identity theft, the course will outline the steps that should be taken to notify banks and credit reporting agencies, how to file a complaint with the appropriate law enforcement agency, and how to work through the often complicated process of having fraudulent charges and other negative information removed from their credit history.

The KSURF course is designed for novice users but is also appropriate for experienced users and those in the corporate workplace. The course should take 3-5 weeks to complete, and participants can study at their own pace from the comfort of their home or office.

The class begins June 1 and enrollments will be accepted through June 30. To register for the free course, and for information about many other online courses offered at KSURF, go to http://vu.ksurf.net/calendar.html

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KSURF is a unique online community that combines a modern virtual university learning platform with popular social networking features such as user profiles and blogs. KSURF offers a wide variety of low-cost courses on in-demand subjects including web design, Internet technology, creative writing, self-help/inspirational themes, and academic subjects. Courses are non-credit and offered for continuing education, corporate training, self-improvement, and leisure enjoyment.