• How good are you at spotting phishing scams?

    Home » Forums » Cyber Security Information and Advisories » Code Red – Security/Privacy advisories » How good are you at spotting phishing scams?

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    WSJohnGray
    AskWoody Lounger
    July 30, 2004 at 1:31 pm #408005

    Here’s a ten question test to show that it’s not quite as easy as you think…

    John

    PS The full article which contains the above link is here.

    PPS I got them all correct. Honest!

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    Viewing 7 reply threads
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    Replies
    • WSWyllyWylly
      AskWoody Lounger
      July 30, 2004 at 1:44 pm #857808

      80% for me…

      Reply | Quote
      • WSCalvin
        AskWoody Lounger
        July 30, 2004 at 2:44 pm #857851

        I got 100%, but I’ll admit that I outright guessed on one.

        Reply | Quote
        • WSWyllyWylly
          AskWoody Lounger
          July 30, 2004 at 4:05 pm #857891

          What’s interesting is that this is only a visual test. I don’t want to spoil this thread by saying too much, but I always go to a particular site by opening my browser and typing in the URL myself. You can’t be too careful!

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        • WSWyllyWylly
          AskWoody Lounger
          July 30, 2004 at 4:05 pm #857892

          What’s interesting is that this is only a visual test. I don’t want to spoil this thread by saying too much, but I always go to a particular site by opening my browser and typing in the URL myself. You can’t be too careful!

          Reply | Quote
      • WSCalvin
        AskWoody Lounger
        July 30, 2004 at 2:44 pm #857852

        I got 100%, but I’ll admit that I outright guessed on one.

        Reply | Quote
    • WSviking33
      AskWoody Lounger
      July 30, 2004 at 10:52 pm #858001

      I just said that they were ALL scams. 70 %

      Reply | Quote
    • WSskitterbug
      AskWoody Lounger
      July 30, 2004 at 11:05 pm #858004

      I managed 80% – I missed the last two Pay Pal examples, boo hiss smile

      Reply | Quote
    • WSskitterbug
      AskWoody Lounger
      July 30, 2004 at 11:05 pm #858005

      I managed 80% – I missed the last two Pay Pal examples, boo hiss smile

      Reply | Quote
    • WSMichaelRead
      AskWoody Lounger
      July 31, 2004 at 4:02 am #858071

      This is way too cool, I received two today and was just about to post it as a warning, and then I saw this thread. Take a look at the one I received today (got the same message twice). It fooled the heck out of me at first, until I looked at the source info.

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      • WSMichaelRead
        AskWoody Lounger
        July 31, 2004 at 4:04 am #858073

        Here is the source screen capture, I cannot remember if there is a way to post two attachments in the same post, so here goes the second.

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      • WSMichaelRead
        AskWoody Lounger
        July 31, 2004 at 4:04 am #858074

        Here is the source screen capture, I cannot remember if there is a way to post two attachments in the same post, so here goes the second.

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      • WSJohnGray
        AskWoody Lounger
        July 31, 2004 at 9:06 am #858084

        Mike

        Well spotted! I rather like the address service.paypal.CON !

        Another reason to avoid PayPal (apart from all the others, that is…)

        John

        Reply | Quote
      • WSJohnGray
        AskWoody Lounger
        July 31, 2004 at 9:06 am #858085

        Mike

        Well spotted! I rather like the address service.paypal.CON !

        Another reason to avoid PayPal (apart from all the others, that is…)

        John

        Reply | Quote
    • WSMichaelRead
      AskWoody Lounger
      July 31, 2004 at 4:02 am #858072

      This is way too cool, I received two today and was just about to post it as a warning, and then I saw this thread. Take a look at the one I received today (got the same message twice). It fooled the heck out of me at first, until I looked at the source info.

      Reply | Quote
    • WSDocWatson
      AskWoody Lounger
      July 31, 2004 at 3:13 pm #858140

      80% for me too. blush

      That means 20% of the time I’d make a mistake if I bothered reading these things. Like Bob and Mark, I never touch commercial links in e-mails. These day, I can’t think of a good reason why one would do something so foolish. Unless of course, they enjoy grief and trouble. Then it’s not foolish…. it’s entertainment !! grin

      Reply | Quote
      • WSCalvin
        AskWoody Lounger
        August 2, 2004 at 5:51 pm #858823

        IMO people are lonely. I see no other explanation of why so many people feel compelled to read everything everyone sends them whether they know the person or not. They must be desperate for someone to talk to. That’s all I can think of anyway. Personally I like being alone, much of the time. Peace & quiet gives me time to think. But then that’s another observation I’ve made-most people don’t like to think.

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        • WSPhil Rabichow
          AskWoody Lounger
          August 2, 2004 at 6:18 pm #858853

          I think it’s also that people are afraid that they’ll miss something. Before answer machines, everyone ran to answer a telephone (at least in the U.S.), lest they miss that “important” call. This is kind of the same thing, like a lottery…but with much worse odds. smile

          Reply | Quote
          • WSCalvin
            AskWoody Lounger
            August 2, 2004 at 6:35 pm #858875

            Could be. For me, it boils down to the same thing-but then I’m happy with what I have, love my wife, etc.

            I’ve never understood why people have extra-marital affairs. If they’re happy at home then why risk it? If they aren’t happy at home then why don’t they split up? I think it must be what you’re talking about-to me it’s just greed. What I have might not be the best that’s possible, but it’s good enough for me. If I’m happy with what I have then I’m not going to worry about ‘missing out’ on something, better or not. Good enough is good enough for me. (Jeez-I’m making a hash out of explaining this.)

            Reply | Quote
            • WSjscher2000
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 6:44 pm #858889

              I think you’re describing something quite different, perhaps a topic for the Scuttlebutt board. smile Most of these phishing scams are made up to appear to come from banks or eBay or PayPal, etc., designed to scare people into thinking they need to act immediately on something critical to them: their money.

              Reply | Quote
            • WSCalvin
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 6:50 pm #858897

              You’re right. For me it’s easy to drift across the line from how to recognize a phishing scam to why do people open them in the first place-at least half the ones I get (or I assume that what I get are phishing scams-can’t be sure since I don’t open them) are from banks/people with whom I have no relationship. Common sense tells me that a message sent ‘blind’-as these obviously are-is likely to be a scam. And that, I hope, brings this thread back to how to recognize phishing rather than the ‘why do people open them’ that I drifted into. Sorry ’bout that.

              Reply | Quote
            • WSDocWatson
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 7:29 pm #858917

              Right………. back to phishing !! grin

              Reply | Quote
            • WSHansV
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 7:34 pm #858923

              So MichaelRead should change his userpic?

              Reply | Quote
            • WSWyllyWylly
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 8:29 pm #858955

              Ouch! jollyroger

              Reply | Quote
            • WSWyllyWylly
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 8:29 pm #858956

              Ouch! jollyroger

              Reply | Quote
            • WSDocWatson
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 11:10 pm #859017

              Nah……… Michael wouldn’t do that. nope He’s a Lounger. smile

              Reply | Quote
            • WSDocWatson
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 11:10 pm #859018

              Nah……… Michael wouldn’t do that. nope He’s a Lounger. smile

              Reply | Quote
            • WSMichaelRead
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 4, 2004 at 1:39 am #859552

              LOL, probably make tons more cash and have fewer headaches! Maybe I could upgrade to XP pretty cheap?

              Reply | Quote
            • WSMichaelRead
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 4, 2004 at 1:39 am #859553

              LOL, probably make tons more cash and have fewer headaches! Maybe I could upgrade to XP pretty cheap?

              Reply | Quote
            • WSMichaelRead
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 4, 2004 at 1:57 am #859556

              I’m hanging with Hans for a while, waiting on a nibble!

              Reply | Quote
            • WSMichaelRead
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 4, 2004 at 1:57 am #859557

              I’m hanging with Hans for a while, waiting on a nibble!

              Reply | Quote
            • WSHansV
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 7:34 pm #858924

              So MichaelRead should change his userpic?

              Reply | Quote
            • WSDocWatson
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 7:29 pm #858918

              Right………. back to phishing !! grin

              Reply | Quote
            • WSCalvin
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 6:50 pm #858898

              You’re right. For me it’s easy to drift across the line from how to recognize a phishing scam to why do people open them in the first place-at least half the ones I get (or I assume that what I get are phishing scams-can’t be sure since I don’t open them) are from banks/people with whom I have no relationship. Common sense tells me that a message sent ‘blind’-as these obviously are-is likely to be a scam. And that, I hope, brings this thread back to how to recognize phishing rather than the ‘why do people open them’ that I drifted into. Sorry ’bout that.

              Reply | Quote
            • WSjscher2000
              AskWoody Lounger
              August 2, 2004 at 6:44 pm #858890

              I think you’re describing something quite different, perhaps a topic for the Scuttlebutt board. smile Most of these phishing scams are made up to appear to come from banks or eBay or PayPal, etc., designed to scare people into thinking they need to act immediately on something critical to them: their money.

              Reply | Quote
          • WSCalvin
            AskWoody Lounger
            August 2, 2004 at 6:35 pm #858876

            Could be. For me, it boils down to the same thing-but then I’m happy with what I have, love my wife, etc.

            I’ve never understood why people have extra-marital affairs. If they’re happy at home then why risk it? If they aren’t happy at home then why don’t they split up? I think it must be what you’re talking about-to me it’s just greed. What I have might not be the best that’s possible, but it’s good enough for me. If I’m happy with what I have then I’m not going to worry about ‘missing out’ on something, better or not. Good enough is good enough for me. (Jeez-I’m making a hash out of explaining this.)

            Reply | Quote
        • WSPhil Rabichow
          AskWoody Lounger
          August 2, 2004 at 6:18 pm #858854

          I think it’s also that people are afraid that they’ll miss something. Before answer machines, everyone ran to answer a telephone (at least in the U.S.), lest they miss that “important” call. This is kind of the same thing, like a lottery…but with much worse odds. smile

          Reply | Quote
      • WSCalvin
        AskWoody Lounger
        August 2, 2004 at 5:51 pm #858824

        IMO people are lonely. I see no other explanation of why so many people feel compelled to read everything everyone sends them whether they know the person or not. They must be desperate for someone to talk to. That’s all I can think of anyway. Personally I like being alone, much of the time. Peace & quiet gives me time to think. But then that’s another observation I’ve made-most people don’t like to think.

        Reply | Quote
    • WSDocWatson
      AskWoody Lounger
      July 31, 2004 at 3:13 pm #858141

      80% for me too. blush

      That means 20% of the time I’d make a mistake if I bothered reading these things. Like Bob and Mark, I never touch commercial links in e-mails. These day, I can’t think of a good reason why one would do something so foolish. Unless of course, they enjoy grief and trouble. Then it’s not foolish…. it’s entertainment !! grin

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