URL Phishing is the practice of taking popular domain names such as www.olivegardensurvey.com and making minor changes such as olivegartensurvey in hopes that people will mistype the URL and be directed to their fake site.
Why would someone do this?
To collect as much information about you as they can in hope of stealing your money or identity. i.e. Name, Address, Phone Number, etc.
Can you tell the difference between a fake site and a real site? I should have been able to but when a screen showed up telling me to pick between one of 3 prizes, I looked at the URL and thought this page doesn’t look like an Olive Garden Survey. After double-checking that I typed the URL correctly, I proceeded to enter in my info, which I thought would bring me to the survey page but it didn’t. The next page asked me to enter in my cell phone number to send me a pin so I could proceed with the survey. Clue #2 that I should have stopped but did I? Nope. I entered in my cell, got the pin and proceeded. After the third page of no survey, I checked the URL again and found the typo.
The damage had been done
They had my e-mail, name, address and phone number. My cell phone was charged $9.99 even after texting back STOP to stop the service. I promptly called my cell phone carrier and they confirmed the charge and removed it. What happened a few days later was even more crafty of the people behind this scam and want to make sure no one every does this. Read the e-mail below and you will find that they are asking for my SSN and Date of Birth to send me this great gift card that I thought I would received for filling out the survey. Obviously, I'm not going to give them this info and neither should you.
________________________________________________________________________________
Congratulations! Your Green Dot® Card is on its way! You should expect your card in the mail within 7-10 days.
When you receive your card you will need to provide your Date of Birth and Social Security Number to complete your card activation*.
If your card says "valued customer" you will receive a card with your name on it 7-10 days after you successfully activate your temporary card.
Important: Click on the link below to read and print the Cardholder Agreement and privacy policies applicable to your Green Dot Prepaid Card.
Cardholder Agreement and Privacy Policies.
If you have questions about this card, please call (888) 237-1272. ______________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
If you browse to a website such as your online banking, surveys, etc and the web site doesn't look quite right, it's probably not. Close your browser, open it up again and retype the URL. If you do fill in your info, expect to get a few SPAM E-mails and phone calls. Unsubscribe and asked to be removed from their call list.
What scams have you seen? Share them in hopes that it will prevent the next person from becoming a victim of Identity Theft.
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There is no warranty in the information listed. It is always recommended that you seek the advice of a trusted professional.