A average adult spends seven hours in front of their screens And when he’s done with work, usually resorts to streaming applicationscarry out banking operations, play, socialize with friends and even to make a medical consultation, as referred to in an article on the portal We Live Security.
One of the leading threat detection companies, warns that cybercriminals and scammers know that personal information is given and financial to the organizations with which interact online and that is why they devise strategies to obtain that information and money, as Phil Muncaster wrote for said portal.
“As connected device users to Internet, it is key to have a little more knowledge digital. By meeting and understand how tactics work They use to use cyber criminals we will be better prepared to keep us safe online and protect both our personal data and our money,” he told the media. Camilo Gutierrez Amaya, Head of the ESET Research Laboratory Latin America.
10 signs scammers use to lure you into the trap
1. The unsolicited message: These are the classic emails phishing or even text messages (smishing) that are the basis of many attacks carried out by scammers and cybercriminals. There are a wide variety of themes and excuses that are used, but they usually work through social engineeringin which manipulate the victims to perform certain actions; For example, make a hasty decision by pretending to be a representative from an accredited organization such as the government, a technology provider or a bank. The goal is usually to steal credentials login and personal information and financial, or make the people download malware on your device inadvertently.
2. Unexpected calls: Also known as voice phishing, or “vishing,” fraudulent calls they are on the rise. Reports ensure that increased by 550% during the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period of the previous year. The scammers often use the calls as part of an attack of multi-stage phishing, with victims who are deceived so that call a certain number that arrives at via email fraudulent. These “hybrid” vishing campaigns now account for 26% of all vishing calls. The most popular tactics include fake callsFor example, something is wrong with the computer of the person (technical support fraud) or that there is something wrong with one of your accounts online, usually those containing personal and financial data.
3. Pressure to make a decision: A common tactic used in social engineering and phishing attacks is put pressure on the victim so that make a hasty decision. could be a raffle that awards prizes and that is about to end, or a false delivery notification of an item that will be returned to sender unless tax is paid. The idea is to force that user to open a malicious attachmentclick on a malicious link and/or deliver your personal data.
4. Something doesn’t feel right: Although the scammers are hard at work for sound more convincing and probably start using tools like ChatGPT for their malicious purposes, social engineering scams may don’t use perfect spelling. In other words, if a email is sent from a service like Gmail and begins with a generic greeting like “Dear Customer”, and/or is riddled with grammatical errors, which most likely is that I know try a fraud.
5. An unexpected request to install a new update arrives: The software updates are important for guarantee an experience secure and optimized user interface, but people should make sure that they are downloading from the correct source. Is important to be careful when doing facilities that have not been properly examined or that are not in the list of downloads in the legitimate provider site or in an official app store. Phishing tactics often they try to persuade them to do itthe original message can be counterfeit so that it seems sent by a legitimate service provider as a mobile phone operator.
6. A popup window with a number to call to clean malware from the device: The false alerts are sometimes designed to facilitate scams, especially those of technical support. In this sense, it may popups appear fake on screen after visit a malicious site. He false message can indicate that the machine has been compromised with malware and what should call a support number to clean the machine. But in fact, doing so can lead directly to a fraudulent call center.
Image caption: Example of a tech support scam
7. An offer that seems too good to be true: Scammers often they take advantage of credulity of many Internet users. They could be high value products That offer for sale with significant discountslavish prizes offered for participate in surveys or even opportunities to invest in cryptocurrencies. The conclusion is that If it seems too good to be true, it usually isn’t..
8. Love confessions after just a few interactions: The lonely hearts that try your luck on dating sites They should be aware that many of the profiles they interact with may be fake. Scammers will they make friends with their victims in social networks, as well as apps and dating platformsand then try continue the conversation on alternative channelssuch as instant messaging applications. They soon profess their love and then they try to extract money from the victimgenerally using excuses such as medical emergencies or plane tickets to meet.
9. A request to complete a survey in exchange for a gift: As mentioned, survey scams are an increasingly popular way for criminals obtain information personal and financial of the victims. A criminal campaign gets million dollars per month through fake surveys and gifts. It is important take special care with those who offer generous gifts and offers too good to be true since there may be a catch, either handing over personal informationpaying a small fee in exchange for a prize that never materializes or even downloading a disreputable application.
10. Requests for money in advance: applications for make transfers have made it very easy to make payments or send money to friends or family. But the scammers also request payments through these applications, either for non-existent items that they may be selling online or in romance scams. they can even pretend to be friends or family who request emergency funds, or may impersonate a legitimate company and send an invoice for payment. The bottom line is that, unlike card payments, these applications do not allow the user to recover their funds if they are stolen by fraud.
“The examples of these scams common, reinforce the idea of being skeptical when we receive unsolicited messages, gifts or offers too good to be true or urgent information requests. Is important not to download anything that has not been previously verified. Don’t reply to emails or unsolicited text messages and do not provide any information over the phone”, concluded Gutiérrez Amaya.
To learn more about computer security, visit the ESET news portal: https://www.welivesecurity.com/la-es/2023/05/16/10-senales-estafadores-tien-en-la-mira/