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Cyber |
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What is Phishing how do you spot it and what can you do about it.
What is phishing?'Phishing' is when criminals use scam emails, text messages, or phone calls to trick their victims. The aim is often to make you visit a website, which may download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information. How to spot phishing message or callScammers try to quickly gain your trust. They aim to pressure you into acting without thinking. If a message or call makes you suspicious, stop, break the contact, and consider the language it uses. Scams often feature one or more of these tell-tale signs.
Authority: Is the message claiming to be from someone official? For example, your bank, doctor, solicitor, police, or a government department. Criminals often pretend to be important people or organisations to trick you into doing what they want. Urgency: Are you told you have a limited time to respond (such as 'within 24 hours' or 'immediately')? Criminals often threaten you with fines or other negative consequences. Emotion: Does the message make you panic, fearful, hopeful, or curious? Criminals often use threatening language, make false claims of support, or tease you into wanting to find out more. Scarcity: Is the message offering something in short supply, like concert tickets, money, or a cure for medical conditions? Fear of missing out on a good deal or opportunity can make you respond quickly. Current events: Are you expecting to see a message like this? Criminals often exploit current news stories, big events, or specific times of the year (like tax reporting) to make their scam seem more relevant to you. How to check if a message is genuineIf you have any doubts about a message, contact the organisation directly. Don’t use the numbers or address in the message – use the details from their official website. Remember, your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email or call and ask you to confirm your bank details over the phone. What to do if you’ve received a suspicious messageIf you receive a suspicious email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk If you receive a suspicious text message, forward it to 7726 (it’s free of charge). Suspicious telephone banking calls should be reported to your bank.
Protect yourself from phishing attacksKeep your software and apps updated. Use strong, unique passwords for your accounts. Be cautious of unsolicited messages and calls. Verify the sender's identity before providing any personal information. Regularly check your bank statements for unauthorised transactions. What happens when you report phishingThe NCSC will analyse the suspect email and any websites it links to and use any additional information you’ve provided to look for and monitor suspicious activity. If they discover activity that they believe is malicious, they may:
Seek to block the address the email came from, so it can no longer send emails. Work with hosting companies to remove links to malicious websites. Raise awareness of commonly reported suspicious emails and methods used (via partners).
Whilst the NCSC is unable to inform you of the outcome of its review, they can confirm that they do act upon every message received. How to report suspicious text messages, and what to do if you think you’ve responded to a scam textMost phone providers are part of a scheme that allows customers to report suspicious text messages for free by forwarding them to 7726. If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender if it’s found to be malicious.
iPhone or iPad: How to forward a text message Android: How to forward a text message If 7726 doesn’t work, you can find out how to report a text message by contacting your mobile phone network provider.
Report a scam text using a screenshot or screen recording
Change your Passwords If you believe a scammer may have acquired your email or social media password(s) IMMEDIATELY CHANGE IT / THEM. This advice also applies to all your other on-line accounts. If in any doubt, CHANGE THEM. If you think you have lost money, given out sensitive financial information, or inadvertently shared banking passwords, immediately alert your bank. Call them right away to inform them of the suspicious incident. You can quickly reach many UK banks' fraud departments by calling 159. | ||
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