Billions of Gmail and Outlook users warned over ‘love danger’ red flag that ‘gets inside your head’ to steal your money
VERIZON has just released its 2023 Data Breach Investigations report and it contains a lot of concerning cybercrime facts.
Security researchers found that some of the most convincing scams involve criminals pretending a loved one is in danger.
This kind of cybercrime is called social engineering.
Social engineering involves cybercriminals talking to a victim and encouraging them to reveal information or act illegally.
This may be a way for criminals to access company secrets or they might just want your personal information like credit card details.
“The most convincing social engineers can get into your head and convince you that someone you love is in danger.
“They use information they have learned about you and your loved ones to trick you into believing the message is truly from someone you know, and they use this invented scenario to play on your emotions and create a sense of urgency,” the report reads.
This type of attack is said to be more prevalent now than regular phishing in social engineering incidents.
Phishing emails, texts, and calls are usually more basis and generic in the hope that a large number of people will fall for the scam.
Pretending to be a loved one is harder and criminals may hack or spoof a friend or colleague’s account and convince you to give away information.
You may also receive an email from a person you don’t know who claims to know a lot about you.
The best thing to do is double check who you’re talking to if you ever receive a suspicious email from a loved one asking for money.
Contact them via a different method, preferably a phone call or in person, so you can confirm it’s them.
It can be difficult to spot these attacks because hackers do a lot of preparation before hand.
Apply the same checklist to these scams that you would when trying to spot a phishing email.
HOW TO AVOID A PHISHING SCAM
Be vigilant when checking who the email is from.
Be sure to look at the sender’s email address first before trusting the content.
Never feel forced into opening an attachment and don’t click on any enable content buttons.
Cybercriminals often use a sense of urgency to get you to send money or information before you’ve had time to think.
Also, be wary of links in emails and avoid clicking them unless absolutely necessary.
If you’re certain an email you have received is a scam, report it to your email provider and delete it.