How to Avoid Getting Cat-Phished this Valentine's Day
So you've heard of cat-fishing, but have you heard of phishing?
There are a lot of similarities, but MTV only has a show on one of them.
Phishing is when someone attempts to steal your personal information using fake emails and websites.
(It definitely sounds like cat-fishing!)
One goal of a phishing attack is to gain personal information like usernames/passwords, credit card, and bank account numbers. Sometimes, they want your social security number!
(Just wait. I promise they’re different.)
The primary difference is a phishing attack will often try to corner you into downloading malware onto your computer.
Malware includes viruses, worms, spyware, adware, and ransomware–the whole kitchen sink! Attackers use malware for various reasons, including pranks, activism, cyber theft, and other serious crimes.
Just a heads up, cybercriminals are getting smarter in their phishing attacks.
No matter your business' size, you want to avoid falling prey to their sneaky and costly tactic. Look for these tell-tale signs before you get “phished:"
1) Someone asks you to share personal information via email.
Remember: If you have an account with said-company, they should already have the information. When in doubt, contact the company directly and ask.
2) A website and/or email address doesn't look legitimate.
Try this: If the email address seems "off," you can click “forward,” and the actual email address will show in the original message!
3) An email is poorly written, spoofed, or has misspellings.
Legitimate companies make sure their email campaigns don’t have spelling and grammar errors.
4) The attacker might portray urgency.
They might say something like, "If you don’t act fast, your account might be deleted." Contacting the company directly to find out.
5) It seems too good to be true.
You know the adage: If it looks too good to be true, it is! A random email about winning large amounts of cash or other free offers should be handled with a heavy dose of skepticism.
