Do you use E-ZPASS when driving on area freeways? If you do, watch out for a string of phishing attempts using E-ZPass branding designed to lure you into clicking on the link to pay an “overdue toll”. When you pay the “overdue toll”, you’re entering your credit card information into a malicious website for hackers to steal. Don’t be fooled – E-ZPass will always send you a statement in the mail!

According to E-ZPass phishing policy, E-ZPass will never send an email to request sensitive personal information, such as credit card details, social security numbers, usernames, and passwords.  E-ZPass stated, “DO NOT provide the information requested and call (800) 333-8655 immediately.”

Phishing Attacks Are Becoming More Common Than Ever Before – And 67% of Phishing Attacks Target Financial Information!

Unfortunately, phishing attacks are becoming more common than ever before – and 67% of phishing attacks target financial information. In addition, phishing attacks can be in the form of emails, or even telephone calls, as hackers attempt to collect confidential information from unsuspecting victims.

Most times, phishing attacks attempt to trick an individual into providing sensitive information, such as bank or credit card numbers. And more often than not, there will be some immediate reason for the hacker trying to contact you, as well as a dire consequence for ignoring the email or telephone call.

In general, it’s a good idea to avoid giving out ANY personal, business, or financial information via an email or telephone call. If a company calls you, ask them some personal details about your account prior to handing over any information. Although phishing attacks often appear to be coming from a credible organization, bank, or nonprofit organization, here’s a few warning signs to look out for:

• The message contains a request for urgent action to avoid some sort of negative consequence, such as a service fee or account suspension.
• The message contains numerous spelling and/or grammar errors – phishers often do this to avoid spam filters.
• The message contains links showing all or part of a company’s name and the link itself isn’t identical to the real company website.

Concerned about phishing attacks? Call your team of computer support and computer security experts at Vertical IT today. We’re here to help you ensure the security and reliability of your entire IT infrastructure. Give us a call at (888) 505-8215 or send us an email at info@verticalitcorp.com to learn more.