From shopping online to chatting with friends, your smartphone keeps you connected to all your favorite things. But, while it might make life easier, your phone may also make you a target for scams and fraud. Before opening that text from an unknown number, learn how to identify and avoid these common scams.
1. Spam
Spam refers to unsolicited commercial emails sent out to a massive number of consumers at the same time. While some are harmless advertisements, others may contain malicious links or attachments that put malware or viruses onto your device. These harmful programs can compromise your personal or financial information or even lock your device until you pay a ransom.
Some spam emails contain deceptive offers or outright scams like work-from-home schemes, debt elimination services, notices that you “won” a foreign lottery or advertisements for miracle cure products that overpromise on benefits. Remember: If an offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Fortunately, many – but not all – spam emails are automatically filtered into your email account’s spam or junk folder.
2. Phishing
In a phishing scheme, a criminal sends you an email in which they pose as a legitimate organization like your bank or another familiar company. They’ll try to hook you in with a believable story, then trick you into sharing sensitive information – like account logins, banking information or your Social Security number – that can be used to commit identity theft.
Phishing emails can be hard to spot because they have a business or organization’s logo and overall look, so they appear authentic. The messages usually take an urgent tone, asking you to “verify” account information or “update” your payment information. They may threaten you with account closure or penalties if you don’t comply right away.
A common clue that it’s a phishing email is when something is odd about the sender’s email address. Maybe there’s a misspelling in the organization’s name or the email comes from a different domain name. You can also hover your mouse over a link in the email to see where the URL leads.
3. Smishing
Smishing refers to phishing attacks via SMS text messages. Scammers send texts that appear to be from a recognizable entity – like your bank, the postal service or your cell service provider. Once again, their goal is to steal your personal or financial details.
They may urge you to click on a link to activate a special discount on a new phone or confirm package delivery details, and the website the text message links to may look very similar to the actual organization’s website, but this phony site is designed to capture your information.
If you’re ever in doubt about a communication that claims to be from a familiar business or organization, contact the organization directly (via the phone number listed on its website) to verify the message or report a potential scam.
Play It Safe
- To help avoid getting snared by a scam or other online threats:
- Don’t click links or attachments in emails until you verify the message is legit.
- Look out for odd spelling and grammatical mistakes in emails, as well as an unusual sender address, for signs of a potential phishing attack.
- Be wary of messages that say you have a limited time to respond, play on your sympathies, ask you to send money or promise significant rewards or benefits.
- Don’t respond to unsolicited requests for sensitive information, such as account logins or banking information. Legitimate businesses like your bank will never contact you out of the blue to request this information.
Boost Your Phone’s Security
These tips can help you protect yourself and your device:
- Create strong passwords for all your online accounts. Each password should be unique and contain a mix of numbers, symbols and upper- and lowercase letters. The strongest passwords are longer than eight characters and don’t contain identifying information or recognizable phrases.
- Use a biometric login. For extra security, set your device to scan your fingerprint or face to verify your identity before allowing access to your device or certain apps. At the very least, ensure your phone requires a passcode to be opened.
- Enable two-factor authentication for your accounts. With this important safeguard, you receive a unique, time-sensitive security code via text, phone call or an app. This security code is needed to log in to your account. If you receive a code when you aren’t trying to sign into an account, this could mean someone else is – and your login information was compromised. Be sure to change your password right away.
- Use secure Wi-Fi connections or rely on your data plan. Never use your phone to access your online bank account or enter personal information while connected to a public network.
- Update technology promptly. Make sure you have the latest version of your smartphone’s operating system, antivirus software and internet browser. Updates often improve online or phone security by patching vulnerabilities or upgrading your device’s security protocols.
- Download only verified apps. Apps that are verified by your app store are trusted to follow appropriate security and privacy protocols.
Take Steps to Stay Secure
At Amegy Bank, we take your security seriously, so we help you protect your accounts with the latest online security features and tools like our Mobile Fraud Alert Service. To learn more about common security risks and steps you can take to stay safe, visit our Security Center.