At some point, most of us will have received a text, call, or email from someone trying to steal your personal information. This is usually called phishing, or scam texts. So, you might be wondering, how do I recognise these scams and keep my personal information safe?
What is Phishing?
Phishing is defined by phishing.org as "a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, phone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords. The information is then used to access important accounts and can result in identity theft and financial loss."
What are some ways that I might receive a scam or phishing text?
Unfortunately, the wide range of digital communication methods available these days means that there is an equally wide range of potential ways for scammers to conduct their schemes. You might receive scam or phishing material via email, call, text, or social media.
Here are some common scam or phishing tactics to watch out for:
- Emails or Texts which ask you to update your personal details or log into your account. These types of scams will often contain a link directing you to a website which looks legitimate, and they will often pretend to be companies that do not typically ask for your personal details. If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of an email or text, please check the company's official website or contact them directly for clarification via the official contact details listed on their website.
- Calls, Emails or Texts congratulating you for winning a prize, and once again asking for your personal details so that you can claim the prize. Be careful! Take a moment to consider, "did I enter this competition?", and remember that legitimate competitions will ask you to confirm your details, not provide them.
- Texts advising that you have a parcel that can’t be delivered due to an incomplete address or customs fees. Do not provide any of your personal details on the link provided in the text message! Instead, use the post or courier service's official website to contact them directly for clarification.
- Emails from an unfamiliar or unusual address, especially when they are delivered with attachments. Be careful, as these attachments may contain a virus. Clicking on an attached file with a virus will result in your computer becoming infected, potentially putting your personal information and files at risk.
- Social Media pages offering goods or services at a price that is too good to be true, or offering fantastic prizes that need your personal details to claim. Remember that legitimate competitions will ask you to confirm your details, not provide them.
In short, protect yourself and your information from scammers or fraudsters with these three rules:
- Be cautious! If you are not 100% certain that the call, text or email is genuine, do not respond to it.
- Don't click! Do not click on links sent to you from numbers that you do not recognise.
- Never share your personal details! Never share your personal, banking, or any other login details with any call, text, or email that you don't recognise.
Do you have any more questions about scams, phishing, or fraud SMS/text messages? Just leave a comment below and a member of the 3Community team will be happy to assist you 😊