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Phishing and pharming set to soar, groups warn

U.S. consumer groups have warned of a growing danger from phishing and pharming attacks.

In observance of what they have declared "National Cyber Security Awareness Month" in October, the National Consumers League (NCL) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) have joined forces to warn consumers about the fast growing risk of identify theft arising from ever more sophisticated online scams.

The Washington-based groups said they have teamed up to focus their efforts on how consumers can protect themselves from the evolving tactics that are used for phishing and pharming scams.

"People want to be able to use their computers and go online with confidence," said Susan Grant, Director of the National Consumers League's National Fraud Information Center and Internet Fraud Watch programmes.

"Phishing, pharming, and other sneak attacks erode that confidence and need to be combated with all the tools at our disposal, including educational information about how people can keep better control of their computers and their privacy."

These sentiments were shared by Ron Teixeira, executive director, National Cyber Security Alliance: "Cyber security is a shared responsibility that requires consumers and businesses to work together to make the Internet safe for everyone."

In a bid to arm consumers with the information they need to recognize online phishing and prevent it, NCL and NCSA have released tips that include advice about keeping computers secure from malicious scams.

The tips are on both the https://www.fraud.org/ and https://www.staysafeonline.org/


The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, aims to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL runs the National Fraud Information Center, which was created in 1992, and the Internet Fraud Watch, which was created in 1996, operating in tandem with the NFIC.

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