4 Steps to Not Fall for Phishing Scams

Phishing attacks not only have the potential to clean the victim's bank account, but it also leaves the person feeling dizzy from being cheated and handing over their data to criminals.

So, what exactly is a phishing scam and how can people protect themselves?

What is Phishing?

Phishing is an old style of Internet fraud that uses fake emails, such as warnings from banks or other organizations.

Within the email are the links that the reader can click, taking him to a page where he can enter his account details. However, these links do not go to the authentic site, but to a place where scammers collect the victim's login details.

What makes phishing attacks successful is that they often use organizations' logos in emails, making them look like official messages.

How to Protect Yourself?

Although more sophisticated scams can be more difficult to detect, there are a few steps that help protect you.

1. Don't click on the links

The golden rule is simply not to click on links in emails or messages that require login. Even when you receive an urgent notice that the password has been discovered or that the account is about to be disabled.

In the vast majority of cases, these messages are fake and by clicking on the link and entering the data, the user's bank account will likely be hacked.

Bank sites are not always used, there are phishing attacks on  Gmail,  Facebook,  Amazon,  Apple, or other high-profile services that have credit card details.

The best way to avoid being scammed by one of these emails is to open a new browser window and go directly to the account. If there is a problem, the person can fix it themselves.

2. Observe the written email

It is true that an occasional error can appear in any email, but the fraudulent messages are poorly written, with grammatical errors that denounce amateurism. It is easy to find strangely constructed phrases, such as a strange use of language or a time error.

3. Don't believe in prizes

Emails that say the person has won a prize and asking them to click on a link and enter the data is probably a variant of the phishing attack.

4. Don't help friends in need

Okay, we admit, this one looks pretty bizarre. Do not worry, it is not a call for all altruism to be undone, instead, it is a warning against a particular style of attack.

The 'stranded traveler' is a pernicious scam that sends victims a message from a friend or loved one saying that he is stranded abroad penniless (either stolen or some other disaster has befallen him) and desperately needs to connect him to an emergency fund.

As you might expect, that fund would disappear forever the moment you hit the submit button. Again, the way to authenticate the situation is to contact the person who allegedly sent the message.

A Quick Checklist to Remember

There are common themes in the ideas above, so it's worth getting them back.

Basically, don't click on links, don't provide account details, or send money, unless you know the messages are real and who they claim.

It is a bad state when our advice is not to trust anything you receive in your inbox. But we prefer that you are safe than sorry, right?

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