SMARTPHONE owners have been warned about scammers sending malicious emails to steal their money.
Phishing fraud is a major threat to online security and is becoming increasingly common.
According to a recent McAfee blog post, millions of phishing emails are sent every day.
WHAT IS PHISHING?
Phishing messages trick people into clicking malicious links or attachments that can steal their personal or financial information.
In some cases, scammers can pose as legitimate companies or organizations, such as banks, credit card providers, or even your employer.
To help people avoid falling victim to phishing emails, McAfee has shared some warning signs to look out for.
RED FLAGS
According to McAfee, there are a few sentences in emails that could indicate they are a scam:
- “You have won our cash prize draw! Send us your bank details so we can deposit your winnings!”
- “You owe back taxes. Send payment immediately via this link, otherwise we will refer your case to the police.”
- “We have noticed some potentially unusual activity on your credit card. Follow this link to confirm your account information.”
- “There was an unauthorized attempt to access your streaming account. Click here to verify your identity.”
- “Your package was undeliverable. Click on the attached document for delivery instructions.”
Most scammers will use a sense of urgency to get you to send money or information.
Bad actors know that victims who feel pressure act less rationally when making decisions.
Furthermore, legitimate entities will never ask you to send money or banking information on the spot.
Instead, they give you information and a specific time frame to trade.
Another thing you should pay attention to is whether you are asked to transfer money at all.
Finally, it’s important to know that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
HOW TO STAY SAFE
There are several steps you can take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of phishing.
The first step you can take to lower your risk is to recognize the scam; pay attention to clues and never click on suspicious links.
Second, you want to make sure that your devices are protected and that the software is constantly updated.
The last thing you need to do is protect your information with strong passcodes and encryption.
If you think your device or data has been compromised, you should run an anti-malware program and change all your passcodes immediately.