mobile users more vulnerable to e-mail phishing scams

Recent research indicates that mobile users may be three times more likely to fall victim to e-mail phishing attempts.more Americans are shifting their e-mail use to their mobile devices. Also, recent statistics indicate that  mobile users spend more time on their phones doing e-mail than using Facebook.

Here is why this is so...

1. Mobile users typically arrive first after the phishing e-mails are sent out. "This makes sense since mobile users are 'always on' and are most likely to read e-mail messages as soon as they arrive. Meanwhile, desktop users only read messages when they have access to their computer."Also, most fraudulent e-mails call for immediate action. For example, they usually claim that suspicious activity has been detected in the user's account and that immediate action is required. Most victims who fall for this ploy will visit the phishing site quickly."This is crucial, since internet providers and web hosts watch for phishing-style activity on their networks and often act quickly to block phishing sites.One of the most insidious parts of e-mail phishing is that the fake alert e-mail might actually say the company is notifying you in response to a recent publicized security breach -- that is, the one they perpetrated. "It's a perfect cover,".

2. Mobile users are three times more likely than desktop users to enter login information. The good news is that most people (mobile or not) don't enter any login information when they land on a phishing site. But among those who do, mobile users clearly were more likely to take this step into the phishing trap.

3. iPhone users are eight times more likely than BlackBerry users to access phishing sites.  there are still more BlackBerry phones than iPhones in use in the  market.  it's "equally difficult to spot phishing websites on BlackBerry and iPhone devices."So why the disparity?  I speculate that many BlackBerry users are business users who were issued their BlackBerry by their employer, ostensibly with at least some security training. In contrast, the iPhone is overwhelmingly a consumer device.