Scary new phishing scam

As tempting as it might be, even if the email from "your bank" comes with your actual account number and PIN, don't act on it! That's all the more reason not to act on what it says. Because this is a new, more sophisticated kind of phishing scam, CNET reports. It's not part of a mass emailing. It's a phishing technique that "uses stolen consumer data to rip off individual account holders at specific banks." CNET cites computer security firm Cyota as reporting that "the phishing emails arrive at bank customers' in-boxes featuring accurate account information, including the customer's name, email address and full account number. The messages are crafted to appear as if they have been sent by the banks in order to verify other account information, such as an ATM personal-identification number or a credit card CVD code, a series of digits printed on the back of most cards as an extra form of identification." The basic rule is simple and needs to get communicated: Don't click to banks, PayPal, or any other financial site from an email. If you need to go to your account, it's better to open your browser, type the URL into the browser window, and access your account through the bank's home page.