Is Phishing Becoming More Dangerous?
Jun 23, 2022
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Ever since the internet has brought more ease and convenience to our lives we’ve become somewhat laid back when it comes to internet safety. Many people aren’t aware of the dangers that they could be facing online — how subscribing to Netflix, being active on social media, and even receiving emails from your bank could pose a threat to your privacy and security.
We’re talking about phishing scams. They’ve been around since the dawn of the internet age and they have been scamming people out of their personal information, login credentials, and banking information for decades. You might be thinking about the classic Nigerian Prince scams that we all love to laugh about, but in reality, there are new phishing strategies that you need to be aware of.
Phishing is extremely dangerous and it should not be taken lightly. However, you also don’t have to live in fear believing that everyone who sends you an email is out to get you. You simply need to understand how to spot phishing scams, and we’re going to show you exactly how to do that!
What is Phishing?
In its most basic form, phishing is a fraudulent email that is sent to the victim’s inbox and urges them to interact with a link or attachment in the email. Once the victim interacts with the link or attachment in the email the hacker will have the upper hand.
Interacting with an attachment in a scam email can trigger malicious software such as viruses, spyware, or even ransomware to be installed on your device. Interacting with a link can also prompt malware to be installed, but there is another direction that this phishing scam can take when it comes to links.
Clicking on a link can take the victim to a fraudulent website that has been set up by the cybercriminal. The website will be rigged with a keylogger that will copy everything that is typed into the web page and give it straight to the cybercriminals. This gives the hacker the ability to steal your login credentials, personal information, and even your banking details depending on the information that you need to type into the website.
How Has Phishing Developed?
Phishing has come a long way since the early days. Cybercriminals know that people will eventually catch on to their schemes, which will make their phishing attempts ineffective. Hackers have since developed new strategies to ensure that potential victims will fall for their scams.
Cybercriminals use social engineering to trick their victims into falling for their phishing scams. Social engineering is when the cybercriminals pose as a person or company that you might know and trust, and this means that a potential victim is more likely to fall for their phishing attempt.
Netflix is one example of a recent phishing scam that has been making the rounds. Netflix is a good option for cybercriminals because of how popular it has become. The streaming platform has gained millions of subscribers in recent years, which automatically means millions of additional potential victims that cybercriminals could target.
Cybercriminals will carefully craft their phishing emails to ensure that the victim does not become suspicious. They do this by using the Netflix logo and color schemes, making a replica of a real Netflix email. This will trick Netflix users who are not careful as they will instantly believe that it’s a real email from Netflix.
All the cybercriminals have to do then is to get their victims to interact with a link or attachment in their email. They do this by informing the victim that their billing information needs to be updated or else their account could be suspended. The hackers will also provide a convenient link that takes you straight to the Netflix billing page. However, this is in fact that has been set up by the cybercriminals with a keylogger. Any billing information that you type into the website will be copied and given to the cybercriminals.
Phishing scams have also outgrown emails in our modern society. With the massive growth in social media, hackers have made their way onto our favorite social platforms too. It’s arguably easier for them to find targets because many social media users follow pages that relate to their interests in hobbies. This allows cybercriminals to easily target a group of people. For example, they could send you a link to enter a competition that will allow you to win tickets to see your favorite band live. However, there would be no competition, and clicking on the link would simply install malware onto your device.
Hackers can also hide fraudulent links such as icons and images on the internet. This means that you need to be careful about what you click on while browsing the web. In this day and age, anyone can create their website, and post whatever they want to on it — making phishing scams easier and more successful.
How to Spot Phishing
Spotting a phishing scam has become more and more difficult over the years because of how cybercriminals are now disguising their phishing attempts. However, there are still some red flags that you can keep an eye out for. The first rule is that you should always avoid following links when a message urges you to do so, even if it is from your bank. It’s best to log in on a separate tab and manually navigate to where you need to be, even if it takes longer.
If you’re receiving emails it’s always a good idea to check where the email comes from. If the sender’s address is a Gmail account or anything else that’s unofficial, it’s best to ignore the email. While reading through the email you might also pick up on some spelling and grammatical errors, which is something a reputable company would never have in emails they send out to their clients.
When it comes to social media, it’s always a good idea to have your account private and to avoid interacting with people you don’t know. If someone sends you links or direct messages, it’s best to ignore them, no matter how enticing their offer might be.
Tags: English