Social engineering refers to the manipulation of people into performing actions to divulge confidential information. By using creative methods, scammers, criminals, and other bad actors can gain access to your personal information. Two of the most common methods used are known as phishing and smishing. We’ll review what these methods are, how they are used, and how to protect yourself against threats.
If you suspect that you have been a victim of suspicious activity, please do not hesitate to contact us at 800.936.7730 (U.S.) or 00800.4728.2000 (Int’l).
Phishing is defined as “a technique for attempting to acquire sensitive data through a fraudulent solicitation in email or on a website, in which the perpetrator masquerades as a legitimate business or reputable person.” A phishing email or website will often disguise itself as a legitimate organization, such as your credit union or bank, an online storefront, or social media to get you to provide sensitive information.
Example 1: You receive an email claiming to be from a service stating “Your credentials need to be verified.” When you click on the link, it has you enter your email and current password, often entering twice to ensure the entries match. When you enter this information on their fake page, they log the information and provide a follow-up message pretending to be a confirmation before reverting you to the actual service’s website.
Example 2: Your friend on Facebook has their account hacked. While it is compromised, the hacker using their account sends you a suspicious link, often with a message like “Is this you?” or “I need your help.” These links are usually either a truncated “bitly” link or a long link. Once you click on the link, the website it leads to may ask you for information or may install malware on your device without prompt.
Smishing is a form of Phishing in which an attacker uses text messages (SMS, therefore SMS + phishing) to get a target to click a link or reply with sensitive information by pretending to be a legitimate business.
Example 1: You receive a text message asking if you made a large authorized transaction at a store you wouldn’t normally go to. The message asks you to reply “Yes” or “No.” When you reply, a scammer calls to walk you through fixing the fraudulent transaction while gaining sensitive information from you. This allows the scammer to potentially gain access to your credit card information, making more transactions in the process.
Example 2: You receive a text message stating that an application is out of date and needs to be updated, followed by a shortened hyperlink (often a bit.ly link). When you click on the link, mobile malware is installed allowing the scammer to see certain things you do on your phone, whether it’s credentials for applications, credit cards used on mobile purchases, or more.
When dealing with potentially fraudulent messages, there are many ways that you can protect yourself.
