How to Deal with suspicious emails and text messages?

Before knowing the tricks to deal with suspicious emails and text messages, We need to know why all these text and email messages came? What is the use of these fake messages and emails? If you are taking these text and email messages lightly you must be aware. At some point, these texts and emails will become harmful for you. To protect yourself from these suspicious emails and text messages you have to know what Phishing is.

What is Phishing?

A different type of online scam that harms your personal and financial information is known as Phishing. Information such as your passwords, Social Security Numbers, Bank Account Details, Debit/Credit Card Number and personal information. Phishing will take place when device users do not pay attention to the activities taking place on their phones.

All these text messages and emails pretending to be real and to come from a legit body. Through these mediums, they will ask you about your personal information and financial details. Here are some sources from where phishing will take place.

• Phone Calls

• Emails

• Text messages

• Fraudulent software (e.g. anti-virus)

• Social Media Messages such as Facebook & Twitter

• Advertisements

• Text Message

This article is truly focused on Text message or email phishing. This type of fishing is known as spear phishing. It is one of the direct attacks. In this type of fishing, the scammer will send you personalized messages claiming to be from legitimate sources such as top companies, software companies, banks, institutions, and from your close ones. They use logos, similar names, email addresses, etc.

Sign of Phishing Includes

1. Attention-grabbing titles: They serve your bait in a form of a title that consists of some attention gaining words on social media, text messages or email.

2. Warnings: An urgent warning came on your phone such that your credit card is going to block due to some reason, or your email is going to freeze in a few days, etc.

3. Incorrect URLs: Scammers may use hyperlinking that landed on the registered sites. The legal site URL consists of a series of numbers and an unfamiliar web address

4. Spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors: Text messages or emails include mistakes such as spelling errors, grammar errors, etc.

5. No signature or Contact details: Contact details are not available in text messages or emails.

6. Eye-catching offer: Scammers offer you unbelievable prices at a very low rate which is impossible in reality.

Scammers use text messages, phone calls and emails

In-Text Messages, Emails, & Phone calls frauds, The scammers will convince you to click on a link. When you click on that link, you will land on a fake website that could install viruses onto your device. This virus will help you in stealing your password or personal details.

In Some cases, They directly call you, ask you for sensitive information such as bank account details, Credit card details, etc. They claim themself as bank employees which is not possible. Bak never calls their clients for any information because they already have the details about each and every account.

What to do If you already Click on that link?

• First Case, When your account has already been hacked. Must contact the support team of that platform or read guidelines which are given on its official website.

• Second Case, When they ask you for bank details. As soon as possible contact your bank and inform them about this.

• Third Case, When scammers try to hack your official work details. In this case, inform your office IT Department and tell them about what happened to the device.

• Fourth Case, When they ask to install some app. Before this, open your antivirus software and scan fully your device. This will save your device from scams.

• In the fifth case, If you're telling your password to someone, you must reset your password for that account.

Dos and Don’ts For stoping Spam Texts

Dos

1. Must check your mobile phone bill regularly so that you can check either spam messages are sending from your phone or not to the company to get active any extra services that you do not know.

2. Do protect your personal details like savings. Any legitimate company do not ask for personal details through text message. All these scam texts or emails are used to disclose your personal information such as credit card details, bank details, and other information.

3. Every phone has an inbuilt feature to block scam contact and unknown calls. In an Android phone, three dots are present on the right corner of your text message. And In iOS, Tap on the "i" button available on the right-hand side of the scam text message. Now select the number and click on the block option.

4. Send your scam text to number 7726, which spells SPAM, So that investigation will take place. This number does not charge any cost or your text message count.

Don’ts

1. Don’t revert immediately to any suspicious text came in your mobile phone. Must verify from the company they are claiming from through call before providing any details.

2. Don’t click on the link they are providing you. Try to go on that website directly and search for the offers they are given you. If they are genuine the same offer also available on their official websites.

3. Don’t share your personal information through social media messenger because registered companies use social media only for advertisement. They never ask for your personal details on social media platforms.

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