How To Prevent Cell Phone Phishing Attacks – Guide
In the last five years alone, there has been a massive 85% increase in mobile phishing attacks, highlighting weaknesses in the security of mobile devices and the need for users to be more vigilant against phishing attacks on that particular platform. On desktop, users can verify the validity of a web address by hovering over a link to see if it is legitimate. This option is not available in a mobile phone, making it increasingly difficult to know whether a link is malicious or not. In connection with the Internet, the humble smartphone means you have access to a huge amount of data at any given time. Unfortunately, this access is reciprocal and it is difficult to prevent your personal information from being leaked. While it may seem trivial, some information is all some criminals need to try to trick you with more valuable data like your bank details or passwords. One of the ways of doing this is known as “phishing” and it is becoming more common every year. Despite strong security on iOS and Android, it is difficult for your smartphone to protect you from phishing attempts. Don’t let your trusty smartphone lead to your financial downfall or worse. Here it is how to protect yourself from cell phone phishing attacks.
SMS-based phishing
Text messages are one of the most common methods of communication – and that makes SMS messages a tempting target for many phishers. SMS phishing – known as “smashing” – follows many of the typical phishing rules. Each text contains an Internet URL, which will often take you to a convincing replica of your banking website or some other website that requires you to log in. When you log into your account, you are actually giving attackers the information they need. Sometimes you will be prompted to download something, which allows attackers to install malware on your system. From there, the scammer has the information or control they need, and you’ve effectively been “phishing.” It is quite easy to avoid getting scammed by these scams. Be skeptical. Phishers will use greed or fear against you and try to use it to entice you to act without premeditation. Take a look at the message you received and try to identify any of these freebies: Of course, these methods aren’t foolproof, and if you have any suspicions, don’t act as the message prompts you – and never touch anything in the message. Instead, if it’s a message about an account you have, contact that company directly without using the link or phone number in the text. If the text claims to be from your bank, use the number on the back of your card or access the site regardless of your web browser. For services and tax authorities, contact them through their phone numbers, email addresses or websites.
phishing call
Another of the most common phishing methods is a phone to connect. Voice phishing – also known as “vishing” – involves a human element and will typically come at you with an attack plan similar to SMS squashing attempts. That means people pretending to be your bank, tax authorities or someone else trying to get valuable information. As always with phishing attempts, there are some pretty great freebies you can use to find out if a call is legitimate or not. Explaining that you will call back (to an official number) before disclosing any personal information is a great way to avoid potential scams. Do not follow the instructions offered unless you are absolutely sure it is a legitimate call, and even then, companies should be able to offer the same service if you call back.
Final note
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