Phishing scams are on the rise and becoming more sophisticated
EXPLAINS THE NEW TACTICS THAT SCAMMERS ARE USING. SINCE EARLY 2021, THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN 23,000 REPORTS RELATED TO PHISHING. AND KEEP IN MIND, NOT EVERYBODY REPORTS THESE SCAMS. SO THIS NUMBER IS PROBABLY MUCH HIGHER. EVERY PHISHING SCAM STARTS WITH A SCAMMER TRYING TO REACH YOU BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE. THAT COULD BE PHONE, TEXT, VOICEMAIL, EMAIL, OR EVEN A LETTER IN THE MAIL. THE MORE SOPHISTICATED SCAMMER MAY EVEN SET TRAPS FOR YOU PLANTING THEM ON THE WEB, SUCH AS FAKE OR LOOKALIKE WEBSITES. SO HOW DO YOU AVOID THIS? WELL, MAKE SURE YOU’RE ON A TRUSTED WEBSITE. IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO BOOKMARK YOUR BANK OR CREDIT CARD COMPANY’S WEBSITE SO YOU KNOW YOU ARE ALWAYS ON THE CORRECT SITE AND AS AI OR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BECOMES MORE MAINSTREAM, SCAMMERS, OF COURSE, ARE USING IT. I OFTEN TELL YOU ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF A SCAM IS BAD GRAMMAR. WELL, NOW SCAMMERS ARE USING AI TO COMPOSE THEIR EMAILS AND THEY’RE SENDING THEM OUT. A LOT OF THEM HOPING THAT YOU’RE GOING TO FALL FOR THEM. SO LOOK FOR OTHER SIGNS OF A SCAM, SUCH AS A GREETING THAT’S ADDRESSED TO USER OR JUST YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, NOT YOUR FULL NAME. AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A TEXT OR AN EMAIL, DON’T CLICK ON ANY LINKS AND NEVER SHARE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION. GO TO THE COMPANY’S ACTUAL WEBSITE AND LOG IN THERE. IT’S EASY TO FALL FOR THESE PHISHING SCAMS, FOLKS, BECAUSE SCAMMERS MAKE THEM LOOK REAL. REMEMBER, IF YOU CAN SPOT A SCAM, YOU CAN STOP
Phishing scams – scams that try to trick you into revealing personal information – are on the rise.Since early 2021, the Better Business Bureau has received more than 23,000 reports related to phishing.Because not everybody reports these scams, the actual number is probably much higher.Every phishing scam starts with a scammer trying to reach you by any means possible. That could be phone, text, voicemail, email or even a letter in the mail.A more sophisticated scammer may even set traps for you, planting them on the web in the form of fake or lookalike websites.How do you avoid this?Make sure you're on a trusted website. It's a good idea to bookmark your bank or credit card company's website so you know you're on the correct site.As artificial intelligence becomes more mainstream, scammers are taking advantage. They're using AI to compose their emails and to send out a lot of them, hoping you will fall for one.One of the hallmarks of a scam is bad grammar.Another red flag is a greeting that is addressed to "user" or just your email address.If you have a question about a text or an email, don't click on any links and never share personal information.Go to the company's actual website and log in there.It's easy to fall for these phishing scams because scammers make them look real. If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Phishing scams – scams that try to trick you into revealing personal information – are on the rise.
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Since early 2021, the Better Business Bureau has received more than 23,000 reports related to phishing.
Because not everybody reports these scams, the actual number is probably much higher.
Every phishing scam starts with a scammer trying to reach you by any means possible. That could be phone, text, voicemail, email or even a letter in the mail.
A more sophisticated scammer may even set traps for you, planting them on the web in the form of fake or lookalike websites.
How do you avoid this?
Make sure you're on a trusted website. It's a good idea to bookmark your bank or credit card company's website so you know you're on the correct site.
As artificial intelligence becomes more mainstream, scammers are taking advantage. They're using AI to compose their emails and to send out a lot of them, hoping you will fall for one.
One of the hallmarks of a scam is bad grammar.
Another red flag is a greeting that is addressed to "user" or just your email address.
If you have a question about a text or an email, don't click on any links and never share personal information.
Go to the company's actual website and log in there.
It's easy to fall for these phishing scams because scammers make them look real. If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
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