How does “Pharming” differ from “Phishing”?
The latest evolution in Internet scamming is “pharming”. Through the use of a virus or similar technique, your browser is hijacked without your knowledge. You type a legitimate website into the address bar of a browser and the virus redirects you to a fake site. Although you entered the website address in the browser yourself and the website appears identical to the site you are accustomed to doing business with, you have actually been redirected to a different site. You enter in your identifying information, such as bank passwords and credit card numbers, and unknowingly submit it to someone who is out to steal your identity. In this scheme, since you typed in the URL yourself and the website has the same appearance as it usually does, it is unlikely that you will know you were redirected to a different website. How can I protect myself and my computer? There are ways to avoid “pharming” attacks and to protect your personal information: • Legitimate banking and business sites will nev
