Criminals are constantly finding new ways to steal your data or money via phishing. Anyone can fall for it and knowledge is the best defense. You must now be extra alert to these phishing attacks.
Be alert to these phishing attacks and other fraud
Anyone can fall victim to phishing, because these attacks can be very well put together. With phishing, criminals try to get money or information from you, by pretending to be your bank or parcel delivery person, for example.
Phishing usually creates a sense of urgency: you have to act quickly now, or it will cost you a lot of money. Think of taxes that you supposedly forgot to pay, or your DigiD account that will be closed within a few days.
The best way to protect yourself against phishing is knowledge. Knowing that every message can be phishing is the first step. In addition, be extra alert in the coming period for the following forms of phishing, tracked by the Fraud Help Desk.
1. Debt to the tax authorities
People receive a message via text message or email that appears to come from the Tax Authorities. It states that there is an outstanding debt. If that debt is not paid quickly via a link, assets will be seized. The Tax Authorities never send these types of messages via text message or email. These messages always arrive by post or via the Message Box app.
2. DigiD registration expires
Many people receive a text message or email that appears to come from DigiD, stating that their registration will expire in a few days. This is of course not desirable, so they should quickly click on a link to prevent this. However, DigiD never sends messages that contain a link or a QR code.
3. Working from home via WhatsApp
If you receive messages via WhatsApp or Telegram that work is offered that you can do at home, does not take much time and still earns a lot? Then that is completely fake. You have to pay money first to participate, and the amount that you earn will never be in your account.
4. PayPal belt
If you get a call from PayPal with a menu to approve a payment, that is also fake. It is wise to keep in mind that calls with a pre-recorded message are almost always fake.
Even if you are then referred to an employee. This is usually a scammer who pretends to be an employee and now realizes that you are curious.
5. Emails about your porn visits
Emails are still being distributed in which the recipient is told that a virus has made film footage while the person is watching porn. The email states that the images will be distributed to your contacts if you do not pay.
Sometimes a password is placed in the email. Does that password sound familiar? Then the criminals fished it out of a data leak to make this attack seem more credible.
6. Update data at Chamber of Commerce
If you have a company, you may be extra alert to messages from the Chamber of Commerce. However, do you receive an email or text message that your details urgently need to be updated, otherwise your registration with the Chamber of Commerce will expire? Then you are also dealing with phishing.
What should I do if I encounter such a phishing attack?
Do you see such a phishing attack on your smartphone? Then you can first report it to the Fraud Help Desk via this form.
Reporting is important. Not only because the Fraud Helpdesk can help you further if you have a problem, but above all because the organization can monitor which forms of phishing are current, in order to inform other people and prevent possible future victims.
You can then delete the text message or email so that you are no longer tempted to click on a link that you should not click on.
New forms of phishing
Phishing takes many different forms. For example, there is quishing, which is phishing via qr codes. Vishing uses a fake voice. We also help you prevent adware, viruses, ransomware and spyware on your phone.
Source: www.androidplanet.nl
