A few days back I received an email from a friend requiring me to access a document that was sent via Google Docs. I almost got fooled into giving out my password. Phishing is a means that tricks you into entering
sensitive data, usually passwords and bank account information,
by emulating a familiar website. These scams can take a variety of
forms, though they’re often introduced through email, text messages or
social media sites. The beauty of this trick is that the mail came from a trusted friend whose account has probably been compromised. This is indicative of the fact that phishing
scams in general are on the rise. By being aware of how these scams
operate, and how to detect them, you’re well on your way to protecting
yourself from hackers.
Follow the steps below to
help avoid falling victim:
- Double check your URL address. Most of the time, a phishing URL will have some reference to the entity it’s pretending to be, but with some form of variation. For example: www.google.com will take you to Google; www.googl.e3921.com (as an example) will take you to a crash page—but it could also take you to a phishing scam website. That being said, do be aware that the scam described above uses a legitimate Google URL and could trick even the most thorough of skeptics.
- Don’t send banking or login information via email or text. Professional services will never ask you to send sensitive information over email or text messages. They just don’t. At the bare minimum, they’ll ask you to sign into your account on their website (remember to check the URL) in order to address any sensitive information. If you’ve received an email asking for transmittal of financial or login details via email, you’d be wise to delete it.
- Watch the links. Be wary of clinking on links sent to you over email, text message or social media sites. Most are harmless, but the ones sent to you by someone you don’t know, or a business that you didn’t sign up for, could send you to a malware-infested site. McAfee® SiteAdvisor®, which comes with McAfee LiveSafe™ service, provides color-coded ratings on the safety of your browser’s search results and external links found in your Facebook and LinkedIn news feed when viewing from your PC or Mac. It will also provide a warning message after you click, but before taking you to the site, if the link appears harmful.
- Install comprehensive security software. As always, practice caution, and protect yourself online with comprehensive security services like McAfee LiveSafe. It will help block spam and dangerous email, as well as guard against malware and viruses on your PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets.
- Change your passwords regularly. As a precaution, you may want to regularly change Gmail password on a regular interval.
Although, total security is an illusion, we may be able to bring to the barest minimum, the damage caused by these bad boys of the internet. Have a lovely week.
