Phishing Scams to Watch Out For
Be aware when you receive links like this (www.flipkartluckydraw.ml) through any social mediums! What are Phishing links? Why are they dangerous? What to Do After Clicking on a Phishing Link mistakenly?
In recent days I have noticed that people in my contacts are continuously getting these types of links circulated through Whatsapp with top fashion brand names. Phishing attempts have become so prevalent that many brands have set up a help page to warn customers about it. If you are reading this it’s time to create awareness between your friends and family.
If you received a similar link like amazon and you opened the link and waiting exhilarating to receive the gift shown on the webpage (clicked the link or downloaded an attachment) then it’s time to realize you are caught in the hook of a hacker.
What are Phishing links?
“Phish-ing” is pronounced just like it is spelled similarly to the word “Fishing”. This works right as the strategy of a fisherman throwing a baited hook out there hoping you to bite (link to random people). This attempt is done by hackers just randomly to hack the data of people who ever click the link/download the attachment in the link.
Why are Phishing links dangerous?
If you think Phishing isn’t a big deal then definitely you must make a note of this!
When you click the Phishing link you yourself give the right to another person access to your personal data, such as cards. The chain can be more complex — gaining access to any of your accounts, or to your email, the attacker begins to steal other passwords. This is not about pure cybernetics, but about psychology.
What to Do After Clicking on a Phishing Link mistakenly?
- Disconnect your device from the internet immediately.
- Back-Up your files immediately after disconnecting from the internet. (Data can be destroyed or erased in the process of recovering from a phishing attack.)
- Scan your system/mobile for malware. The scan may take a long time to run, depending on the size of your device storage/hard drive. Be patient and do not do anything else on the device while it is running.
- Change your credentials including online usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other identifying information. This applies to all online accounts — email, online banking, social media, shopping accounts, you name it.
To ensure that people fall for the phishing scheme, attackers employ these four psychological tricks:
Consistency: (Reaches you regarding a common issue)
Reciprocity: (Pop up comes up in your mobile/laptop saying an xxxxx brand is giving away 1000 sarees)
Validation: (Sir Card’ mella irruka 16 digit number solluga)
Scarcity: (Your account has been hacked, please change the password immediately, or your account will be deactivated)
Conclusion
Phishing attacks will continue to be successful as long as there is a human who can be psychologically manipulated in some way. So please be aware of the links you click and try to stop sharing these types of links with your friends and family. Do support and share!
