Dreamstime Warning on Phishing Emails

In early April, Dreamstime‘s administration alerted users to be cautious of emails purportedly from the agency, requesting account details or prompting recipients to click on links to verify their information on the website.

The administration reminds users once again that Dreamstime never sends emails requesting personal information from service users.

Notably, phishing has recently become more widespread. Initially, phishing targeted clients of various banks, but its scope has now significantly expanded. I received my first such email, purportedly from Citibank’s security service, back in 2008.

I remember being surprised that I, not being a client of this respected financial institution, received an email from them. It turned out to be a phishing email.

Phishing is a type of internet fraud. It aims to obtain access to confidential user data, such as logins and passwords. The term ‘phishing’ comes from the English word ‘fishing.’ Phishers obtain data through mass email campaigns impersonating popular brands like Citibank or Mail.ru.

These emails typically ask recipients to click on a link leading to a site that mimics the legitimate one or redirects to it. By visiting such sites, users may unknowingly provide valuable information to scammers, granting them access to their accounts and bank information.

Phishing exploits users’ lack of basic internet security knowledge. Many users remain unaware that legitimate online services do not send emails requesting disclosure of credentials or passwords.

It appears that phishers are now targeting stock photo user accounts. This indicates that stock agencies offer substantial earnings for photographers and illustrators, as phishers typically target more lucrative opportunities.

Remember, stock agencies like Dreamstime will NEVER ask for your password or login details via email. Also, legitimate emails from stock agencies won’t include .zip file attachments. Avoid opening any such files!

Furthermore, if an email contains a link to the stock agency’s site but the email raises your suspicions, do not click on that link. It’s safer to manually type the address in the browser’s address bar or open the stock agency’s website directly from your bookmarks.

Stay vigilant with emails asking for verification or personal account information!