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What are evil twins?
An evil twin is a homemade wireless access spot that masquerades as a legitimate hotspot in order to gain personal information from users without their knowledge. A hacker normally positions themselves close to a legitimate hotspot and puts out their wireless signal. A user who signs up at the legitimate hotspot may automatically log on to the malicious access spot or may manually change from a legitimate hotspot to a malicious one because it has a stronger connection. Evil twins are becoming more of a threat as people are using wireless connections at coffee shops, parks, and hotels as well as others.
How to avoid evil twin scams
Be aware of strange things when using a hotspot, like being unable to send email or open certain webpages. If you notice unusual activity like this, shut down your computer immediately.
Make sure you always have the most up-to-date anti-virus and security software.
Install a personal firewall.
Be smart when using a hotspot. Don't enter your personal information unless it is on a secure server. Secure sites display a lock symbol in the bottom-right corner of a page. Also look for "https" at the beginning of a web address. The "s" stands for "secure."
To truly safeguard your computer, shut off your wireless internet when it is not in use.
If you think your information has been compromised by an evil twin:
Step 1 - Contact your bank and credit card companies by phone and in writing.
- Cancel all credit and debit cards that may have been compromised.
- Change PINs and passwords for sensitive accounts.
- Put a stop payment on outstanding checks which may have been written without your permission.
Step 2 - Report the fraud with the three main credit reporting companies to place a fraud alert on your credit file.
Step 3 - File a police report.
Step 4 - Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report the situation. Other offices you may want to consider contacting include:
- Social Security Administration (if you believe your SSN is being used).
- Internal Revenue Service
- Post Office
Reporting evil twins scams
Evil twins can be reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. You can file a complaint online at www.ic3.gov.
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