Do you know that scam activities are no longer restricted to emails alone? Fraudsters are now relying on phishing texts to defraud individuals. Phishing poses a great threat to small business owners. It is a type of thievery that is employed by cyber fraudsters to manipulate unsuspecting consumers. This security attack is usually carried out by tricking consumers to download a piece of malware. Considering the risk associated with this scandalous activity, it is necessary to be on alert, and we are here to help you.
A lot of people have fallen victim to these phishing activities without detection. Unfortunately, even the careful ones are not left out of this malicious activity. More so, many people do not realize what has happened until they have gotten neck-deep into it.
These phishing texts are becoming more sophisticated with the passing of each day. For this purpose, users are expected to know how to spot phishing texts and protect important data.
Being able to differentiate between genuine and false text messages is indeed a blessing. To help you stay protected, you must be on the lookout for dangerous phishing texts. Ready? Let’s do this together!
5 Examples of Dangerous Phishing Text
There are various phishing text message scams. Surprisingly, even the most reputable organizations all over the world have fallen prey to these fraudulent actions. But, this doesn’t have to be you. By arming yourself with the appropriate information, you would be one step ahead of their wicked motives.
Some of the different patterns these dangerous phishing text favors are:
- Bitcoin text: Bitcoin is a new currency and has garnered lots of attention in recent years. Cybercriminals are well-aware of the modus operandi of bitcoin and make use of this information to attack gullible individuals. Mining bitcoin requires effort, adequate computer processing power, and concentration. Cybercriminals can manipulate mining bitcoin by sharing mining operations. One good way to identify if the bitcoin text you have received on your electronic device is a phishing text or not is to scan the URL and double-check it to ascertain you are on the right site.
- Buy gift card text: Gift cards have become very popular, and many individuals make use of them to purchase items. Its popularity has also ushered in an influx of criminals who employ all sorts of means to swindle consumers of their money. A common dangerous phishing text that relates to gift cards is to encourage unsuspecting users to visit a URL and claim a free reward. Does this sound familiar? Many times, when the user clicks on the URL, such a person is required to present confidential information. Unfortunately, as soon as this is provided on the site, identity theft can easily occur.
- Locked PayPal Account text: Many cybercriminals have settled for sending out phishing text messages about a locked PayPal account. A typical sham text about a locked PayPal account will always look urgent. The content of such messages will always warn users that their accounts have been locked and they need to take urgent steps to deactivate them. To even make the phishing text look real, they would include a contact number and encourage users to put a call across to rectify the problem. As soon as uninformed users dial the number, they would be connected directly to the awaiting fraudsters. Just before you give in to that tiny voice convincing you to call the number, contact the official website of PayPal and wait for their response.
- ID Verification on iCloud text: Have you gotten a text message that requested you to verify your iCloud ID? If yes, you might just have received a phishing text message on your phone. Apple is a reputable organization and would not send you a message to verify your account information on your phone. When you receive such a message, be rest assured it is a sham!
- Lack of detailed text: A text message from your organization or bank without specifics is definitely a phishing text. Most of the phishing texts are sent out in great numbers. To this effect, the scammers do not have the opportunity to carefully go through the information of their expected victims before carrying out their actions. They rely on generic attacks to achieve their aim. Therefore, when you receive a text message from your bank or another organization without specific details, restrain from taking it seriously.
Take the Bold Step
The greatest defense against phishing text is avoidance. The ideal thing to do when you receive a text that is either too good to be true or filled with inappropriate details is to simply avoid it.
Contact us today on (559) 297-1007 to help you implement a cybersecurity strategy that would protect your interests and keep you out of harm’s way.