Phishing Emails know my address!

Phishing emails – every single day millions of them are received as scammers and cyber criminals try their damndest to hack our computers and take our money…

The trend right now is ransomware which is malicious software (malware) that can end up locking you out of your own computer until you pay a fee. Or, as is the case in a topic we’re blogging about today, you’re told that you OWE money to a company and have to pay them or face legal action.

Most phishing emails are so obvious that it’s hard to fall for them nowadays, but a few slip through that are quite convincing – like the ones where they show your OWN postal address in the text of the email.

There has been another recent bout of people receiving phishing scam emails that say the victim owes hundreds of pounds to real UK companies. These emails are worded very well for once; I’m sure you’ve seen the amount of phishing ones that are so poorly worded that it’s laughable. But when you receive one that’s in the Queen’s English and states you owe money to a real company, and the email includes your own real postal address, we’re talking about a more advanced scam here.

How have they got your postal address?

It’s most likely that it has been hacked from databases that are linked to the companies they reference in their emails. This again can make it more convincing as the company you “owe” money to may be a company you have actually had real dealings with. If their database has been hacked, or if the database of a related third party they have legally shared your information with has been hacked, then that can be why.

Sometimes it can be even cleverer though – and doesn’t always require a hack. Social media is responsible for so much information being inadvertently on the web with millions being naive as to the extent of just how much information is really out there. Try googling your email address and you can see whether you are linked to any sort of profile that may also show your postal address.

If it does, then there might be your answer. My view is to always ensure that information is kept as private as possible.

What if my information has been hacked?

Our Data Leak Lawyers can help you.

If you have been the victim of a hack and have had your personal information exposed or abused then you may be entitled to compensation.

The law in terms of data protection is very strict which is how you are able to receive compensation as a victim of a breach, leak, or hack.

For advice, contact us on 0800 634 75 75 today.

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