Do NOT Give Out Your Personal Information — including your email password!
WestPA.net will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER send you an email asking for your email address, password or any personal information. We have it, so we will NEVER need to ask you for it!
Every day there are thousands of attempts on the Internet to get people to give out private information. These emails purport to be from someone you do business with and they do look so official. They are referred to as phishing schemes. They are called phishing schemes because the hacker is phishing (fishing) to see who they might catch.
Sometimes these phishing schemes are intended to get your email password or credit card info. But many times there is a link in the email, that when clicked, loads software onto your computer that can cause a number of issues.
Currently the biggest issue is called Ransomware. Ransomware is software that secretly encrypts all the information in your computer. Then, one day when you start your computer you cannot do anything until you pay a ransom, usually hundreds of dollars, to the hacker who sent you the email. Once you pay they may, or may not, give you back your files.
Under no circumstances, give out your passwords or credit card information to anyone in an email. Don’t click on links in any email unless you are positive it is legitimate.
Remember that if you ever get an email asking for your personal information DO NOT ANSWER IT OR CLICK ON THE LINKS. JUST DELETE IT! You can always call WestPA.net at 726-9462 and we will confirm that it is not from us. (Or if from eBay, a credit card company, etc you can contact them directly.)
Always be suspicious. Then you be able to rest more easily knowing that your private information is safe.