In today’s world, where most of our daily activities are moving to the Internet, threats that we have to face are appearing more and more often. We mean, among others, phishing. This method of online fraud is used by cybercriminals to steal confidential information and personal data. Recently, Internet users have been attacked by cybercriminals using another method. They tried to deceive us too (more on this at the end of the article).
Phishing, what is it?
Phishing scammers impersonate trusted institutions or individuals, such as banks, social media sites, Internet service providers, etc. They send users fake emails, text messages, social media messages, or make phone calls to obtain confidential data, such as passwords, bank account numbers, or credit card details. Criminals often use social engineering techniques to trick victims into sharing confidential information.
The most common techniques used by scammers
Examples of such activities? Most often it is fake emails from banks. Fraudsters impersonate such institutions by sending emails that, at first glance, look authentic. In the content, they may ask for things like updating bank account details. They add links that lead to fake login pages, where users provide their credentials.
In addition, there are fictitious lotteries. Phishers often promise Internet users huge prizes or lottery wins that don’t exist. In return, they ask for confidential information or a certain amount of money to be sent to process the winnings. Users who provide this information become victims of fraud, losing their savings or becoming vulnerable to identity theft.
It is not uncommon for fraud to take on a form related to social media. Internet users receive fake emails – hackers pretend to be administrators of a given social networking site and inform about suspicious access to an account. Then they ask for confirmation of identity by providing a login and password. If the user believes them and provides their credentials, the fraudsters gain full access to the profile, which allows them to spread spam or even steal identity.
There are also some online fake online shopping sites. Criminals create fake sites that look like well-known online stores at first glance. They then send links to these sites via email or promote them with online ads. Users who make purchases on these fake sites provide their credit card details or other confidential information, which leads to theft.
This is what happens spear phishing. This type of phishing is more sophisticated and targeted at a specific person or organization. Scammers gather information about their targets from various sources, such as social media profiles or websites. They then create personalized messages that appear authentic, including recipients’ names, details, and context, making them seem credible. Spear-phishing is often used to gain access to sensitive information within companies.
Attempted attack on our editorial office
Recently, scammers have tried to attack our editorial office as well. Luckily, we know their tricks!
We received an email that stated that “we have (13) new emails pending.” Unfortunately, we cannot receive them because we have “exceeded the email disk quota allowed for” our account. Then, instructions were provided on “how to fix this.”
Please confirm you are a human and not a robot by clicking the link below to receive pending emails.
If you don’t verify your email account, you will soon stop receiving emails
– it was written in the email.
The message was signed: “mailbox administrator”.
Of course it was all an attempt at fraud.
Don’t give in to criminals!
Phishing is a serious threat to our security. It can lead to many terrible consequences, such as loss of money, identity theft, or violation of privacy. Remember that you should always be vigilant and careful online. It is important not to click on suspicious links, not to provide confidential information in response to suspicious emails or at the request of people whose identity we cannot be sure of. Our security depends mainly on ourselves!
