How to avoid phishing after online activity | Q&A with Patrick Marshall

Q: I have an iMac running macOS Ventura, and I use the Safari browser.    

Last month I opened a banking account at BECU. I started the process at a branch and followed up at home through their website. Later that same afternoon, I received a text message on my cellphone from becu@cnd.net. It stated: “BECU: cash withdrawal request on POS. This wasn’t you? Please click below link to cancel: toxbar.net.” I immediately suspected it was a phishing text, which I confirmed through BECU.  

I found it hard to believe that was a coincidence unrelated to my previous online activity. Even more concerning was they had my cellphone number, which I had provided to BECU. I scanned the computer through Malwarebytes, which didn’t detect anything. I also cleared all the cookies.  

This morning I was searching online for solutions to an issue with my Amazon Prime account. Shortly afterward, I noticed an email in my junk folder from Prime’s Cancellation Report with the subject line: Disabled Account — billing information needs to be updated. The email has a PDF attachment. Once again, I’m sure this is a phishing scam, and I’m concerned with the timing of my previous Prime browser search.

What are your thoughts?

— Doug Carlton

A: You’ve already done the first thing I would do — running a good antimalware program. And Malwarebytes rates highly in reviews. But that doesn’t mean an evasive strain of malware isn’t on your computer and is tracking the sites you visit on the internet. Or it could be something as simple as a tracking cookie that you inadvertently downloaded from a website.

So, what can you do next? I’d start by clearing cookies in Safari. In Safari, go to Settings and then Privacy. Make sure the “Prevent cross-site tracking” and “Hide IP address from trackers” are checked. Next, click on the “Manage Website Data” button. Finally, remove website data.

Bear in mind, though, that you’ll also be wiping out “good” cookies that do such things as carry customization information about a website to make it easier for you to navigate. So, you may have to take steps to reacquire cookies from websites you trust.

The good news is that the phishing emails you receive only work if you open them or click on links. And be aware that tracking pixels can be in images embedded in emails. To keep safe, make sure that your email client is configured to not display images in the email. You can always manually open images in emails from trusted sources.

Q: I’m using Windows 10, Microsoft Edge. I am puzzled by a series of ding-dongs which follow my use of the internet. These occur shortly after I have left the keyboard. They will continue for five to 10 minutes, and then all is quiet until I use the internet again.

I thought they might be related to Facebook messages but have found no correlation there.

— Wes Lingren

A: You’ve stumped me with this question. I’m throwing this one out to readers to see if anyone has encountered this and has a solution.