Despite the pandemic, many people are still running busy schedules, especially with more people working remotely. With that, it’s easier to fall victim to phishing scams.
In this article, we will share five practical tips on how to get through the holiday season unscathed:
1. Know How To Identify Phishing Scams
Phishing may come to you in various forms, through emails and even text messages. For this reason, it’s crucial that you know how to identify a phishing message from an authentic one. One of the most common forms scammers use is an email where they mimic banks and other financial institutions to gain access to people’s bank accounts and other financial platforms.
When you want to know how to identify phishing scams, you must first make sure to check the source of incoming emails and messages to you. A good example is, if you receive a message from your “bank,” remember that they will never ask you to send your password or personal information through email. When you see details like this, it’s likely a scam and it’s best to delete the email right away.
2. Improve Your Computer’s Security
Make sure your computer has a good antivirus system that can block these attacks. Also, you should have the most recent updates on your operating systems and web browsers to prevent hackers from gaining access to your system.
3. Be Mindful When Clicking Links
Suspicious links, whether on emails, social media messages, or even text messages must not be clicked. Make sure you check for its authenticity before you click on them. Today, many links contain viruses that can infiltrate your system without you knowing, so be careful!
4. Be Cautious With Online Deals
Remember that it’s the holiday season, and many online deals are so tempting. This is the time when you will likely receive emails that are just too good to be true. However, it’s easy to get swayed by persuasive emails and advertisements due to the holiday fever. This is why you must be on the lookout for too-good-to-be-true offers and always read everything before you seal a deal.
5. Shop Only From Well-Known Retailers
It’s essential that you shop only from well-known retailers during the holidays, especially if you will do most of your shopping online. That way, you can effectively avoid becoming a victim of any phishing tricks that could make you lose a lot of money in the process!
Despite the convenience that the Internet brings, it has also become a breeding ground for criminal activities, such as phishing. During the holidays, phishing is more prevalent as this is the time when people are busy with too many things that they can easily fall victim to malicious tricks.
Whether you own a business or you’re an individual, it’s important to have the right cybersecurity measures in place to protect yourself and other assets that you have. Because of this, consider hiring the services of a cybersecurity agency to help you stay protected online, especially during the holiday season!
Get quality brand protection solutions in Australia and around the world now with FraudWatch International. Our experts can help protect you and your customers and reduce financial losses due to phishing scams. Connect with us today to see how we can help!