As part of a user education process Paypal has launched the anti-phishing challenge. I received a notice of this to my registered paypal address (I found this legitimate message in my junk mail folder1 by reviewing and verifying the DomainKey). I scored 5 out of 5 and received the seal shown here; “Anti-phishing Champion”.

Paypal is also hosting information sites on How to protect yourself and supplying information on how PayPal fights phishing and the Identity Theft Guide.

American Express has also added educational information to their “Front of the line” email program with these great tips for consumers to watch out for in phishing emails:

  1. A sense of urgency created by the message. Example: Your account will be closed or temporarily suspended. You’ll be charged a fee if you don’t respond.
  2. The e-mail addresses you by a generic term and not personally by first name and/or last name. Example: Dear Customer.
  3. Embedded links within the e-mail may look legitimate because they contain all or part of the real company’s name (may be slightly misspelled). These links will take you to fraudulent sites that ask you for sensitive personal information.
  4. The e-mail may contain obvious spelling errors.
  5. The e-mail address states American Express, but the content has little to do with American Express products

Check out these great resources and learn how to protect yourself and your financial information.

1 – Even successfully signed and verified emails get delivered to the bulk folder.