This week brings April 1st and many of you will be taking this opportunity to play a few pranks on your friends and family. This is also a great day to remind you about the top tricks cyber criminals regularly try to play on all of us.
Unlike the harmless April fool’s joke, the repercussions of cyber scams can be pretty critical for the victim, as these pranks can lead to identity theft, data breaches, and potentially large financial losses.
Cyber scammers are getting really good at hiding their true intent. So stay alert and keep up to date with the latest security software, and make sure you don’t fall victim to any of the following:
Spam
Spam is junk e-mail that can be unsolicited bulk messages that can result in identity theft, malware downloads, or paying for faulty/pirated or non-existent items. Most email providers have antispam filters, but always verify any request for personal information by the organization requesting it.
Phishing
One of the oldest tricks in the book is phishing. This is an attempt by an attacker to gain sensitive information from you, such as log-in details and personal information, which can be used to commit identity theft or can be the first stage of a malware attack on your business. I had an attacker spoof email me yesterday to make it look like it was coming two of you. I highly recommend not clicking on suspicious links in emails and make sure your security handles phishing and checks attached links.
Fake Antivirus or Ransomware
Malware that tricks you into thinking your computer is infected with a virus and suggests that you pay for antivirus software to remove it, is called a FakeAV, Ransomware or scareware. Some fake anti-viruses will also restrict access to files and demand payment from you to unlock them.
419 Scam
One you may be extremely familiar, and I seem to get the most is the 419 Scam. This is where the scammer promises to share a large amount of money with you if you pay a small upfront charge. Typically, they’ll continue you to milk you for more money until you realize it’s a scam or run out of money. Never trust unsolicited emails from strangers asking for money.
Typosquatting
When a scammer sets up a scam web address that is very similar to a legitimate, the scammer is hoping to attract people who have accidentally typed in the wrong address. This is called typosquatting. Bookmark sites or click on recently searched-for links to reduce your exposure.
Clickjacking
A popular tactic on social media is clickjacking, where an attacker tricks you into clicking on seemingly harmless links that actually contain hiding malware. Again, be careful of unsolicited content and make sure you have a reputable anti-malware running.
The end goal for many phishing, malware and viral attacks on consumers is identity fraud. However, if you’re a business, it can be a major cause of lost revenue. Don’t be an April Fool. Be calm and cool and don’t fall for these or other online threats – regardless of the day or month…