Take Charge! - Smart Choices for Your Cox Digital Home

It is still safe to access online accounts and make purchases online, as long as you verify that you are dealing directly with the company you intend to do business with. Here are some tips on how to know what to trust and what to avoid:

1. The sky is not falling.

Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. Phishers usually include exciting or upsetting false statements, inspiring recipients to enter their personal information immediately.

2. Go direct:

If you suspect that an e-mail from a company is not legitimate, don’t click on any the links in the e-mail. Instead, call the company on the telephone or log onto their web site directly by typing the company’s web site address directly into your Internet browser. You can research their official site to verify whether the offer or problem is real.

3. Be stingy with your information:

Avoid filling out forms embedded in e-mail messages that ask for personal information. This information should only be communicated directly through the company’s secure web site, in person, or on the phone with the company’s customer service representative.

4. Check the address:

When you are communicating personal information, make sure you are on a secure web site. Do this by looking at the beginning of the web site address – it should start with https:// and not just http://. The “s” in the address signifies that it is a secure site.

5. Make sure you have a security blanket:

Security software should be installed and up-to-date on your computer(s). Spam-blocking software can prevent most phishing scams from reaching your e-mail box. Anti-virus software, anti-spyware, firewall protection and parental controls will spare you from a number of other online hassles. Cox customers can go to www.safeisbeautiful.com and download the Cox Security Suite powered by McAfee that contains all of these elements at no charge.

6. Go tell:

If you come across a phishing e-mail or a pharming site, be sure to report it to the following groups:

• Forward the e-mail to reportphishing@antiphishing.com
  
• Forward the e-mail to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at spam@uce.gov
  
• Forward the e-mail to the “abuse” e-mail address at the company that is being imitated (e.g. if the e-mail is imitating Cox Communications, forward it to abuse@cox.net)
  
• When forwarding phishing e-mails, it is best to forward the entire original e-mail, including the original subject line
  
• Also, notify the Internet Fraud Complaint Center of the FBI by filing a complaint on their web site at www.ifccfbi.gov