Boring-looking bank emails and would-be family members in distress are just two of the ways that cybercriminals like to fool people into sharing passwords and credit card details.
Alarm bells should always be ringing when a service or person asks for your password, especially for your online banking service, but also for your social media login details or phone number.
Criminals are still targeting the unwary by email to lure them to fake websites, and yet they have also moved far beyond that these days.
Here are an overview the various kinds of phishing techniques that are being used and what you can watch out for:
– The relative in need of help: Someone posing as an old friend or relative gets in touch with you on Facebook or some other social media platform, asking for help (or usually money). Often, they will say they they have lost their phone and all their money, explaining why they get in touch with an account or number you don’t know.
-Smishing: Smishing (a neologism made up of SMS and phishing) is when cybercriminals send a text message baiting recipients into handing over their login data. One widespread scam involves a text message telling you that your package needs to be picked up. Don’t click on the link!
