Have you ever received a text message or an email requesting for you to click a link, download an attachment or even deposit money? If you have, you’ve probably been subjected to what is now known as phishing.
So what is phishing? It’s a cyber-attack that can mostly be disguised as either a phone call, text message or an email. It’s an attack that is meant to trick a person or persons into giving up private information to gain access to important accounts. What really distinguishes phishing is the route the message takes: the attacker most likely will act as a trusted entity of some kind, often a real person, or a company the victim might do business with or already has.
Below are a few ways to help keep you safe and protected from popular scams such as this one.
- Stays informed and educate yourself. There are new phishing scams being developed all the time, don’t be afraid to browse the internet and read up on all of the techniques your attackers may use to sneakily obtain your information.
- Multi-factor authentication. This is very important as its basically extra security. Setting up multi-factor authentication makes it harder for scammers to access your accounts as they need a code that you would receive through a text message or email. Proper security options help limit all other types of hackers as well.
- Don’t click the link. Clicking on links in emails or texts can be tempting, but think before you act. If you’re unsure, pick up the phone and call the source to find out if they are trying to reach you. Many links may even lead you to a website that looks legitimate but again, go directly to the source and find out if they are looking for specific information and what for.
Remember these are just a few of the ways you can help protect yourself from this type of situation. There are many more great steps to follow to decrease the chances of this happening to you. If you think that you have been a victim of this type of scam you can always report it to a company that deals with theses specific issues.
