Beware of the phisherman, don’t become a victim

Phishing has become a huge problem over the years, and the more communication goes digital, the larger the problem. According to statistics, this method of scamming people is on the uptick with 95 percent of organizations having been victim of phishing attacks. Other startling statistics suggest a
250 percent increase of phishing incidents in the first quarter of 2016 alone and 97 percent of users cannot accurately identify a "sophisticated" phishing email.

You figure those stats are just for businesses and other agencies. Countless individuals are also exploited by the phisherman. Other information released in 2017 suggests a stunning 1.4 million websites are created every month with the intention of committing fraud via phishing.

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How to decrease your chances of becoming a victim of phishing

Be careful with links

Never click links sent to you that prompt a password or instruct you to share information by going to a website. Even if you are sure the email has come from a company you do business with, it’s safer to go to your browser and type in the URL to visit the website directly.

Watch information sharing

Don’t respond to emails that demand personal information. Authentic businesses may email you for information, but they will not be overly persistent in nature. They’ll usually provide several methods for you to contact them to provide the information they are requesting.

 Don't download attachments

Attachments frequently are a method for phishermen to load Malware onto your computer. Never download anything you aren’t expecting or haven’t made a request for. Always verify before downloading.

Passwords are private

Don’t respond to any requests that ask for your password. A legitimate email from an authentic business or organization will never ever ask for passwords or PIN combinations.

Learn scams

Get educated about the different kinds of scams. Being proactive decreases your odds of becoming a victim and this is the best way to avoid becoming one of the growing statistics. Recognizing the signs of forged or spoofed emails and websites significantly reduces your risk.

Similar email addresses

Beware of similar looking email addresses that arrive in your mailbox. Phisherman are often meticulous in creating a closely related email address that looks realistic. If it ends up in your spam folder, it is likely not someone you’ve dealt with on a previous or regular basis. Be careful with the email addresses you add to your trusted senders list.

Email structure

Examine the structure of the email. Is the email full of grammar, spelling or typo errors? If there are mistakes, this is a clear indicator something is amiss.

Email tone

Look out for emails that have an urgent tone to them. Emails conveying a message of urgency are a common social engineering tactic to spread fear to convince a user to panic and quickly comply with requests. It is a ploy to make the recipient panic when they are told their accounts are in jeopardy or that they’ve been the victim of a security breach. Instead, call or write to the business directly to inquire if there is a problem (remember to create a new email, don’t respond to the one you received).

Phishing is very common these days. Don’t become a victim. Always take the extra steps to ensure the communication you’ve received is valid. Sometimes the communication will be legit, but unfortunately, many times it will not. It's always better to be safe than sorry.