I’m a tech expert – don’t click bank-emptying ‘fear’ email that may be hiding in your Gmail or Outlook right now
A CYBERSECURITY expert has revealed to The U.S. Sun how to avoid a common phishing scam tactic.
Cybercriminals use the cruel technique to try and grab your cash quickly, but once you know it, it’s easy to spot.
Erich Kron, a security awareness advocate at specialist firm KnowBe4 refers to the trick as the “fear tactic.”
He told us: “While the specifics may vary, the most common attacks against consumers generally revolve around some sort of fear tactic.
“Whether it is the IRS suspending their Social Security number, Microsoft saying their computer has a virus and they are there to help, or their bank saying if they don’t confirm information, their account will be closed, they all use a sense of fear and urgency to get people to react and make mistakes.”
Scammers rely on making you panic to get your personal information or even more cash.
They want you to part with your money quickly before you realize it’s a scam.
Once victims do recognize their error, it might be too late to get their money back.
A scammer may try and imitate a popular brand name to make the scam more convincing.
Always check with legitimate websites if you’re worried about an imposter scam message.
The best thing to do is never send money to strangers online.
Kron added: “Not all phishing scams are directly after money either.
“Many will try to trick somebody into going to a fake login page where cybercriminals can steal a person’s username and password, then use that to access the accounts later.”
Your personal information can be just as important as financial information when it comes to cybercriminals.
They can still make money from your data and you may fall victim to identity fraud.
You should report and delete suspected scam emails and texts.