They’re about as welcome as robot calls and junk mail — spam text messages.
They show up as unwanted and unexpected text messages on our phone screens. That’s aggravating enough, but it gets worse. Whoever is sending you a spam text message is usually trying to defraud you.
Most spam text messages aren’t coming from another phone. They’re usually originating from a computer and being delivered to your phone — at no cost to the sender — via an email address or an instant messaging account.
Don’t despair. There are steps you can take to reduce unwanted text messages and help prevent them from showing up on your phone and other mobile devices.
Is that Website you are on Safe?
Not all websites are safe. Scamsters will copy popular website home pages to try and trick people into clicking. Some of those clicks are relatively benign; they just take you to a sales site while others are truly malicious and can literally take control of your computer and your systems. Here's a review of good practices to keep that from happening.
Would it surprise you to learn that there are over 4 billion internet users in 2018? With over half of the population around the world now surfing the net, there may be an increased opportunity for malware attacks by those with malicious intent. As internet scams continue to evolve, it’s important to make sure the websites you visit don’t pose a threat.
Arm yourself with knowledge to help you avoid potentially dangerous sites by familiarizing yourself with these three red flags.
1. Odd-looking domain names
Let’s say you get an email from your bank. At least, it looks just like the emails your bank sends, addressing you by your full name. The email presents an offer you’d like to explore. Naturally, there are a couple of links and a big button making it easy for you to reach the right page in one click.
Netflix Phishing Scam: Don't get caught
Phishing is when someone uses fake emails or texts to get you to share valuable personal information – like account numbers, Social Security numbers, or your login IDs and passwords. Scammers use your information to steal your money, your identity, or both. They also use phishing emails to get access to your computer or network. If you click on a link, they can install ransomware or other programs that can lock you out of your data.
Scammers often use familiar company names or pretend to be someone you know. Here’s a real world example featuring Netflix. Police in Ohio shared a screenshot of a phishing email designed to steal personal information. The email claims the user’s account is on hold because Netflix is “having some trouble with your current billing information” and invites the user to click on a link to update their payment method.
Basic eMail Cybersecurity for Small Business
When cyber crooks send messages trying to trick people into disclosing passwords or account information, they often mimic a recognizable email address to make it look like it’s coming from a trusted source – for example, from your company. It’s a practice called spoofing and it packs a double wallop. Not only does it put consumers at risk for identity theft, but spoofing can unfairly damage the reputation for trust you’ve worked hard to earn.
What can you do to protect your company and your customers from business email imposters? That’s just one of the topics covered in the FTC’s new cybersecurity resources for small business.
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