Technology has enormous benefits to humans, but the adverse of it in the form of cyber-attacks is quite unfortunate and becoming alarming. Not just cyber-attacks, they are numerous. It has also evolved into different types and categories, and one has to be careful in other not to fall victim to these attacks.
One of these crimes is called phishing. It is a fraudulent activity carried out on the web in an attempt to steal people’s personal information for both monetary and other possible gains.
Phishing is becoming rampant and one of those attacks you are likely going to encounter surfing the Internet. When this happens, you are redirected to another web page and instructed to install some software applications that are supposed to be a solution to your computer issues all in an attempt to defraud.
It could be in a form of an email. You receive some emails that could lure you into revealing your personal information by sending emails from fake websites of well-known organizations. The emails addresses look similar to the original email addresses of the organizations and sometimes it’s only the content of these messages that could help determine if they are fraudulent or real.
You are requested to reveal your bank account details, Bank Verification Number (BVN), username or password under the pretence of solving a particular problem they claim you are encountering.
It is therefore pragmatic that one understands how these criminals operate in order not to be a victim of their activities. Remember real bank websites would barely ask for your details because they already have them.
So, before giving out any of those details, you might want to check-in with the bank, make your inquiries and protect your money.
Then there are the phone messages. These messages come in the form of promos. You are being asked to text a particular name or number to another customized number for a specific amount of money thereby qualifying you for a space in the raffle draw which could eventually make you a millionaire. The truth about these ads is that nobody wins.
So before responding to that text message, make sure it’s what you want and won’t regret in future.
Then there are the overly confident ones who would place calls and try to convince one that some software on their computer has been compromised or that you have won a price in a competition that you didn’t even participate in, and then you are asked to send in a particular amount of money to redeem your price.
The take-home tip is that genuine organizations, websites or competitions would NEVER require you to make payments except you are purchasing something.