EOTB: Linden Lab Speaks Out On Phishing Scams

 

 It was a few days ago in which the Newser reported on Team Firestorm stating there was a phishing scam afoot. On Monday April 10, Linden Lab decided it was time to comment on the issue, posting on the official blog an article about spotting them.

One day you are in Second Life, minding your own business while you walk through your favorite store when all of the sudden you get a private message from someone with a link to an item on the marketplace. Without thinking about it, and curious what the item might be, you give it a click. The page loads up looking just like the marketplace, except you need to log in so you happily enter your username and password. Next thing you know, your linden dollar balance is suddenly gone, and you can no longer access your account. You just fell victim to a popular scam known as Phishing.

The Lab would state several things one could do to avoid getting tricked by these schemes.

1. Be wary of unsolicited messages or emails. If you receive a message from an unknown sender, or really even a friend (you never know if their account was compromised), be cautious before clicking on any links. It’s always best to err on the side of caution. 
   
2. Check the website’s URL. Before logging into the website, make sure you’re on a legitimate site. A phishing website will often have a similar looking URL, but with slight variations. Check for spelling errors, or subtle changes in the website’s address.
3. Look for security indicators. Legitimate websites will often have security indicators, such as a padlock icon or “https” in the URL, this indicates that your information is being transmitted securely. If you are not sure if a URL is legitimate, you can always send in a support ticket and ask for clarification.
4. Use strong passwords. A strong password is one that is at least 8 characters long and contains a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. You should also use a different password for each of your online accounts to reduce the risk of multiple accounts being compromised if one password is stolen.
5. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). This will add an extra layer of security to your account by requiring a second form of identification in order to access your account to make account changes.

As a reminder that the scammers were still out there, someone posted a picture of someone getting targeted. It was stated the culprit was ARed and later banned.

The Lab would also remind people that phishing, and other online scams, are always changing and evolving. So developing a habit of staying vigilant is important in order to avoid being surprised and robbed by one.

Click here to read the whole article.

Image credit: Nikkita Sugar Lefavre (Aubrytia)

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